The Secret Heroes
by Just Another Wise Girl
Summary: Percy Jackson lives in a dangerous neighborhood with his best friends Thalia & Nico. When he gets attacked one night, he is saved by a strange girl who goes by A.C. He soon catches her doing things that no human being should be able to do & then sucked into a world that he never knew existed. Join Percy, Thalia, Nico, & A.C. through their insane & possibly deadly journey. Percabeth
1. The Nameless Hero

**This is a new story that I have been thinking about for some time now. It's more adventurous based, but Percabeth will most definitely be involved in it. I mean, how can it be a good story without them? ;) **

**For my 'Unforgettable Summer' readers, don't worry. I will be posting a new chapter soon! I will not be abandoning that story and the next chapter will be posted in the next day or two. I'm sorry for the delay on that by the way. :(**

**Disclaimer: Great... this again. Well, let's just get this over with... *sigh* I do not own Percy Jackson... BUT! I own this plot so don't steal it! Or else I'll get Annabeth to find you and beat your ass!**

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**Percy POV**

My name is Percy Jackson. I consider myself to be a pretty normal kid... Even if I do live in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods outside of New York City. I live in a small area called Lakeshore. Why is it called Lakeshore? Because it was built by a lake. I know, creative right?

Anyways I live here with my Mom and my German Sheppard Mrs. O'Leary. My Dad left us without any explanation when I was around four. We still have no idea as to why he left since we haven't heard or talked to him in the past thirteen years. We thought that everything was going great and my Dad seemed really happy when he was around us. I guess we were wrong. Till this day, I still don't believe that he left us. I think he was abducted since it's not that uncommon around here. People disappear all the time without a trace and you never see them again. Great neighborhood don't ya think?

It didn't used to be like this. Lakeshore was actually a nice and safe place to live. It started getting bad around the time my Dad disappeared. It was like all the gangs in the entire world decided to just randomly stay here overnight. One minute there were kids playing on the street and people riding their bicycles without a care in the world, and then the next minute there were thugs vandalizing houses, robbing department stores, and beating up people on the street.

I know what you're thinking. Why don't you just move?! Well, we would if we had any damn money! My Dad was the main contributor in our house, so when he left, we had a lot of money issues. My Mom works three jobs and she refuses to let me get one. I want to help her out, but she always says that she'd rather have me safe at home than out in the streets.

Well enough about my depressing home life. Let's talk about the worst thing about this horrible place; school. I bet you were expecting me to say gangs or shootings right? Don't worry, we've got plenty of those, but school is by far the worst. Not only are the teachers all idiots, but every slut and thug that live in this God forsaken place go there. Just imagine fights in the school every five minutes, people doing drugs like it's the only thing they need to survive, and girls exposing themselves to the point that they're practically naked and you've got Goode High.

Not everything here is bad though. I have exactly two friends named Thalia Grace and Nico di Angelo. They both dress in dark clothing, but Thalia's style is more punk while Nico's is more on the stereotypical emo side (even though he denies being an emo). Thalia has short spiky dark black hair and bright electric blue eyes that can scare off any criminal. While Nico looks like he's dead 24/7 with his pale olive skin, shaggy dark brown hair and angry looking eyes. The only way you can get Nico to be in a good mood for more than ten minutes is if you give him McDonald's. I swear he could live off of that stuff. The most the three of us have in common is that all of our fathers left us, and on the same day too if I might add. Despite our differences, we got along, and none of are in a gang so I guess that's a plus.

So I was walking Mrs. O'Leary just down the street of my house since it was already eight at night and it's never safe walking the streets alone past five. Although Mrs. O'Leary looked intimidating, she was actually the biggest softy on the planet which didn't make her a very good guard dog.

Anyways, she was doing her business on a fire hydrant in the corner of the street, which was only like a few houses down from my own, when these three big buff guys in dark hoodies just came out of nowhere. Now, I'm pretty tall for a seventeen year old and I do have some muscle from the sports that I do, but there was no way in hell that I could take on three thugs that looked like they lifted weights for a living.

"Hey there kid," sneered the guy who wreaked of alcohol "I like your shoes. Mind if I take 'em?"

Before I could even turn to run back home, his friends pushed me to the ground and kicked Mrs. O'Leary to the side. The alcoholic thug cackled loudly as his comrades began punching me in the face and stomach. I could taste the blood in my mouth and I couldn't help but wonder what was so great about my shoes? I mean, I got them at Value Village for crying out loud!

I've gotten beatings before for my stuff, but this one was by far one of the worst. I could feel them taking off my shoes as I desperately tried to fight back and call for help. Pssh. As if anyone would actually come to my aid.

"All right boys," began the thug leader "we've got the goods, so let's just kill the kid and head back to the boss." KILL ME!? All for a pair of SHOES!? I can't leave my Mom here to fend for herself! I was now in a full stage of panic.

"Please," I begged weakly "don't kill me." One of the thugs kicked me in the gut and I instantly began spitting out blood. Sorry for the nasty images by the way.

The thug smiled creepily and I could see that he had an extreme case of tooth decay "No way kid, you've seen our faces, and we can't risk you telling the cops." I mentally scoffed. Like the cops would help! They're almost as bad as the criminals themselves!

There was a sudden thud so I used all the strength I had left to turn my head in the direction of the noise. One of the thugs was now lying unconscious beside a metal fence. Blood was dripping from his head so I guess he hit it against the fence... But I swear he was standing right beside me just a second ago. How did he get there so fast? The fence was at least twenty steps away! That's when I heard a bang and the other guy who was beating me was also lying unconscious, except he was next to the metal lamp post ten steps away.

The gang leader looked just as confused as I did. Was someone trying to help me? That was extremely uncommon here since the Lakeshore motto is 'every man for himself'.

The gang leader was soon kicked to the ground by my so called rescuer. I tried my best to focus on his face, but his oversized grey hoodie made it difficult to see anything. I noticed that he was a lot shorter than the three gang members and myself. He looked around five eight with dark blue jeans and black converse. Although he was able to take down three buff criminals, the guy looked really skinny with barely any muscle at all. I was seriously impressed with his skill.

The gang leader quickly recovered from the fall and immediately charged the thin hero with full force. My rescuer dodged his attack with incredible speed. He also dodged and blocked every punch and kick the thug threw at him. It was as if he knew the thug's next move before he even executed it. The gang leader eventually got tired from his failed offensive attacks which gave an opening for my rescuer. He started doing some advanced fighting moves that surprised the thug immensely. It was as if the guy just walked out of a Bruce Lee movie! The thug was now cowering on the ground as my rescuer hovered over him. The thug's eyes widened as he took a good look at the hero. His jaw also began to drop which made me wonder if this guy was like really ugly or something.

"W-Who are you?" the thug stuttered.

"You're worst nightmare" the hero responded. He then kicked the thug in the head and knocked him out "Next time, pick on someone your own size." I almost laughed since the thug was almost twice the size of this guy, but seeing him fight earlier made me keep quiet. I slowly got up and limped over to thank the guy who just saved my life.

"Hey man," I began weakly "thanks for helping me out." I guess I startled him because he jumped five feet off the ground which caused his hood to fall of of his head. As he turned around to face me, I instantly mimicked the thug's expression. I wasn't looking at some ugly guy. I was looking at a _gorgeous _blonde haired girl. Her hair was the colour of honey and it shined even in the darkness. It was also long with princess like curls, but she wore it in a messy ponytail. She had a perfect tan that made her look like a classic Californian. Her eyes said otherwise though. They were stormy grey and just looking at them could make anyone cower in fear. Overall, she looked incredibly intimidating, but behind her fierce character it seemed as if she was hiding something. Her face showed no emotion though. How can someone look intense and lifeless at the same time?

My jaw was now hanging open. I guess you could say that I was completely stunned with the fact that this girl single handedly took out three large gang members twice her size. How did she do that?! The more I thought about it, the more she intrigued me. I had to know more about her. I realized that I was still gaping at her so I tried to compose myself the best I could.

"You're drooling" she stated seriously "Wipe your mouth, it's gross." I quickly used my sleeve to clean the drool that was trickling down the corner of my mouth.

_Wow Percy! _exclaimed the sarcastic voice in my head _Way to make a first impression! _

My face suddenly felt really warm. Was I blushing?! What the hell?! I swear, I never act this idiotic...

"Sorry" I said while trying to avoid her gaze "Umm... My name's Percy. What's yours?" I felt like a first grader trying to make new friends and failing miserably.

"None of your business" she snapped while giving me a cold glare. I stood my ground though.

"I just wanted to formally thank you for saving my life. Is that a crime?" She then stared at me with a focused expression, but it soon changed to a confused look.

"How is this possible?" she mumbled to herself. Now it was my turn to be confused.

"How is what possible?" I asked.

"Nothing!" she yelled. I took a step back from her sudden outburst "Just watch your back next time. You would've been killed if I wasn't here." She then turned and ran into the darkness.

"Wait!" I called after her "I still don't know your name!"

"And you never will!" she called back. I tried to run after her, but every muscle in my body ached from the beating that I had just got. I fell to my knees as I attempted to catch my breath. I looked up to see her figure running at great speed towards the main street. Her blonde curls bounced as she ran, but they were soon covered by her hood. I sighed wondering if I would ever get to see that mysterious girl again. Mrs. O'Leary was suddenly at my side carrying something in her mouth.

_Now where were you when I was being beat to death? _I thought.

She dropped the object on my lap and I used my shirt to clean the slobber off of it. It was a silver bracelet with three charms hanging from it. One was a New York Yankees logo, another was an owl head, and the last one was of a simple A. I immediately knew that the bracelet belonged to the mystery girl so I decided to keep it with me. Who knows? Maybe she'll be looking for it. This bracelet was my ticket to see her again, and this time, she wasn't going to get away from me so easily.

**~oOo~**

I woke up from the smell of my Mom's pancakes. If it were any other day I would have jumped out of my bed, run downstairs, and devour every single one of them... But today was no ordinary day. Today is the first day of school. I have been dreading this day the entire summer. School not only meant endless homework and boring lectures, it also meant horrible bullies and an annoyingly large amount of sluts. You want to know my goals for this year?

1. Try to get less beating than last year (I was in fifteen fights if you're wondering)

2. Pass all my classes with a C or higher

3. Actually show up to class

4. Graduate and then get the hell out of this God forsaken place!

_Just one more year _I thought as I walked downstairs to the kitchen table _One more year and you will never have to see this dreadful place ever again!_

"Good morning son! Excited for your first day back?" asked my Mom as cheerfully as she could. She knew how much I hated school, so she tried to be as encouraging as she could be.

"You know it" I responded sarcastically while stuffing another piece of blue pancake in my mouth. Don't ask about the blue pancake... It's a long story.

She looked at me with a worried expression "Just try to stay out of as much trouble as you can Percy. I don't want to see you getting hurt again."

"Don't worry Mom," I said while finishing my delicious breakfast "I'll be fine." I then grabbed my bag, gave her a hug and headed to the door.

"Percy!" she called just before I closed the door "And try to stay away from... You know who." I started to stiffen from her warning. I instantly knew who she was talking about... Luke.

"I will Mom" I told her reassuringly "I'll see you tonight."

I trudged through the halls of Goode High, trying my best to go unnoticed by the crowd of teens. It didn't work. I got a few pushes and nasty looks from the guys and a lot of "Heeeey Percy!" from the girls. All I wanted to do was get to class! Is that too much to ask? Wow... that was weird to say. I can't believe I actually _want _to go to class.

I finally made it to my first class of the day... Math. Ugh! I _HATE _math! I just prayed to the gods that I didn't have Ms. Dodds again. That woman hated my guts! I walked in with my eyes closed mumbling "Please not Ms. Dodds. Please not Ms. Dodds. Please not Ms. Dodds." I opened my eyes and sure enough Ms. Dodds was standing at the front of the classroom writing down an insanely long equation. Great! Another year with the devil woman! She hadn't noticed me come in so I quickly took a seat at the back of the class. A few minutes later, I was relieved to see Thalia and Nico walk in the door.

"Hey loser!" Thalia greeted "I see you're just as excited for this class as we are!"

I snorted "Yup. I'm jumping for joy right now." They each took a seat in front of me since the seat beside me was considered the 'desk of shame'. If you were the unlucky person to come last to class, you had to sit in that desk the whole year. That's why I decided to come early. I was so close to having it last year and I'm being honest when I say that that desk is a hazard waiting to happen. It's so old and rickety that it looks like it will shatter into a million pieces if you just touch it. Plus, for some odd reason, it smelled like bacon.

"So Perce," Nico began "what are your plans after graduation?"

"I want to move to California and study marine biology. Actually, I'll go anywhere that isn't here. I just need to get out of this hell hole." They both shook their heads understandingly.

"I know what you mean" Thalia said annoyed "Just a few days ago I got robbed with a gun coming home from the music store. They took all of the Cd's that I bought plus the extra cash that I had left. Do you know how long it took me to save up for those discs!?"

"Thalia calm down" Nico hissed "At least you didn't get robbed for your pants! I mean, who the heck steals another dude's pants?!" Thalia and I burst out laughing as Nico just glared at us. "It's not funny! I had to walk home in my underwear!" That just made us laugh even harder.

"Alright class settle down!" Ms. Dodds yelled "I'm doing attendance!" She started calling out names and once she reached mine she started mumbling curses under her breath. I told you she hate me.

"And we have a new student named... A.C.?" No one responded to the call so Ms. Dodds began getting impatient "IS THERE AN A.C. HERE OR NOT?!"

"Geez I'm right here no need to yell."

Everyone's heads turned towards the voice. Leaning against the door frame was a girl wearing a dirty old grey over sized sweater, dark blue jeans, and black converse. She had her hoodie up, but I could see the hints of blonde hair that she was hiding.

_It's her._

I haven't seen her in a month and I was beginning to think that I would never see her again. But here she is! In my class! I pulled the bracelet out of my bag and put it in my pocket. I carried it with me everywhere just in case I ran into her.

Ms. Dodds was giving her a searing glare as A.C. just smirked at her. "I will not tolerate tardiness in my class! Especially on the first day!"

A.C. shrugged "I got lost. Not my fault this school's like a freakin' maze." She looked over at the students in the class and smirked to herself as she studied each and every one of them. Once she came to me her face turned serious and her eyebrows furrowed. I just smiled and winked at her which only got me another one of her cold glares.

"Since it's your first day, I'll let you off with a warning" Ms. Dodds continued "Now take your seat next to Mr. Jackson over there." She started walking towards me and as soon as she reached her desk she frowned. The class started snickering since she now has to sit in the 'desk of shame'. She sat in it with disgust and I felt really bad for her. Her first day here and she has to sit in the crummiest desk... That must absolutely suck.

"Oh and Miss A.C.?" Ms. Dodds said while pointing at her "No hoods in the classroom." A.C. mumbled something under her breath as she pulled off her hood. There were some gasps in the class (people were surprised by how pretty she was no doubt) and some guys began wolf whistling. A.C. glared at them and gave them the finger while Ms. Dodds wasn't looking.

"Why don't you stand up and tell us about yourself A.C.?" Ms. Dodds asked. I heard her mumble something like "-every freakin' time... in a new school." She eventually got up and stared at the class emotionlessly.

"Hi. I'm A.C." she then sat back down without another word. Ms. Dodds wasn't satisfied with her introduction though.

"Does A.C. stand for anything?" she asked.

A.C. rolled her eyes and looked at Ms. Dodds like she was the biggest idiot on the planet "They're my initials. So of course they stand for my name, but I'm not telling you people what it is."

Ms. Dodds mumbled "Kids these days" under her breath as she began the lesson. A.C. immediately put her head down on her desk and closed her eyes. Was she really taking a nap now?

I wanted to talk to her after class so I wrote her a note saying '_I have something that belongs to you' _I threw it at her and she surprisingly caught it in midair with her head still down and her eyes still closed.

_Freaky _I thought.

She read the note and chuckled. She leaned over to me and stole my pen to write down her response. That's when I noticed she didn't even have a backpack with her. Who comes to school without a backpack?

She threw the paper back to me _'There's nothing of mine that you could possibly have'_

_'Oh yeah?' _I wrote back _'How about a silver charm bracelet' _As she read my message her eyes widened and as she turned to face me, she had a murderous look on her face.

"Give it back you thief" she hissed.

I grinned "I'll only give it back if you agree to hang out with me at lunch today." I don't know how it was possible, but her eyes got a lot darker. I suddenly felt my desk begin to slightly shake as she glared at me.

"Listen to me and listen closely. Just because I helped you out that one time doesn't mean we're friends. Now give me back my bracelet before I rip you apart right here, right now."

I could tell by the look on her face that she was dead serious. I've seen her fight before and I'd rather be a whole Percy than a machete'd one. I held out the bracelet and she snatched it from me without another word. The shaking from my desk immediately stopped once I handed her the bracelet. Ok, this is getting weirder and weirder.

A.C. wouldn't talk or look at me for the rest of the day (it turns out we have every class together except for third) and I started to feel guilty. Obviously that bracelet meant something to her and I had been hoarding it for almost a month now. I wanted to apologize to her, but she would either slam a door in my face or dodge me in the crowded hallways.

I wanted to make it up to her and that's when I got an idea. I hope she'll appreciate the sacrifice I'm about to make for her because if I do this there's no turning back.

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**Author's Note:**

**So what did you think of the first chapter? :)**

**I have so many ideas for this story that you guys won't know what hit you! There will be a lot of surprises down the road so I'm pretty excited! **

**Ok, that's it for now! Please comment/review on what you think about it so far. :) **


	2. Getting Caught in the Act

**WARNING: Foul language is used in this chapter! Do not be alarmed!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson... Annabeth does ;) (sorry, I just had to)**

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**Annabeth POV**

Here we go again. Another town to add to the long list of places that I've been chased out of. I'm going to give this place two months until I mess up again. Then Chiron will relocate me and the cycle will just repeat. I don't understand why we don't just give up already. I've been to about twenty-three places (not including the areas I've been to before Chiron found me) and I haven't found one person who obtains similar... Umm how should I put this?... 'Abilities' as me.

Chiron is my mentor and ever since he met me, he's been saying that I'm special. He says that my abilities are a great gift, but really they're just burdens. How can something be a gift when all it does is make you feel like an outcast?

Oh I'm so sorry! I haven't properly introduced myself. My name is A.C. ... Well, not really. Those are just my initials, my real name is Annabeth Chase. I don't like telling people my real name because once they find out my secret, they would just go straight to the cops and then I'll be in more trouble than I already am. The only people that know my name are Chiron and my... Ex-family. Why are they my ex-family you ask? Well, because they disowned me. My 'gifts' drove them all crazy... Including myself.

They couldn't take it anymore so one day, when we went to the park, they told me to wait on the swing for them and that they'll be back soon with some ice cream. So I waited, and waited, and waited. They never came back. They left me alone in the park at seven years old! To be completely honest, I knew they weren't coming back from the moment I sat on the swing. I knew everything that they thought of me. The words still haven't left my head till this day. _Freak. Alien. Demon child. _You want to know the worst part of it all? They were right.

My abilities were too difficult to control when I was younger. Actually, I still don't have complete control over them just yet, but back then, it was as if my abilities controlled _me_. I remember the first day my abilities came to me. I was four when I started hearing the voices in my head (I'm not schizophrenic by the way). I'd start screaming because I could never get them to shut up. Eventually I started listening to the voices and that's when I realized that the voices belonged to my family. I couldn't believe it... I was reading their thoughts! At the time I thought it would be an amazing thing. I felt like I was going to become a superhero and save the world. Boy was I wrong.

Once I found out about my new talent, I immediately went to my stepmother to tell her. "Susan!" I yelled excitedly "Guess what I can do!" The words she said in her head surprised and hurt me like you wouldn't believe.

_'What does this freaking stupid ass child want now? Can't she see that I'm busy?!' _

She gave me a fake smile and I could feel the sadness and anger rising up inside of me.

I glared at her as I said "I can read minds."

"Oh really sweetie? That's great!" She didn't mean what she said because in her head she remarked _'Great... I have a nut case for a stepdaughter. Maybe I could get Frederick to send her away to military school or something.'_

I was boiling mad now "I AM NOT A NUT CASE! And you can NEVER send me to military school!" She looked absolutely shocked and that's when I knew that she believed me.

_'Oh my God... She's a mutant!'_

So now you know one of my oh so special gifts. This ability almost drove me insane once. My Dad, stepmother, and I were all at a museum for a special exhibit. There were a lot of people there since the exhibit would only come once a year. I was five at the time and I still hadn't mastered my mind reading ability just yet. I started screaming in the middle of the museum because the voices began overflowing my brain and it was becoming too much to handle. My parents were trying to calm me down, but all I could hear were their thoughts.

_'Ugh! She's making such a scene! I knew I shouldn't have brought her here.' _That was my own father. After he found out about my ability, he never looked at me the same again.

I could feel the tears streaming down my face as I banged my head with my hands yelling "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" My head ached and it felt like the room was spinning a hundred miles per hour. My stepmother got fed up with me so she began to pull on my arm while telling me that it was time to leave. That was a big mistake.

I didn't like her grabbing me so I yelled in her face "GET AWAY FROM ME!" I suddenly felt this strange feeling in the pit of my stomach and that's when I noticed that my stepmother began levitating off the ground. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her face by how much they widened. She began screaming for someone to help her, but it was too late. She was slammed into a wall with so much force that one of her bones cracked. I stood there shocked from what I had done as she laid on the ground groaning in pain from her broken arm. My Dad looked at me with so much fear in his eyes that I didn't need to read his thoughts to know what he was thinking. I was a monster.

If you still haven't figured it out yet, my second ability is telekinesis. This means that I can use my mind to move any object that I desire and yes that includes people. I'd rather not continue talking about my past, so now that you know my secret let's carry on with the present shall we?

Ever since Chiron found me he's been obsessed with the idea that there are other people like me. So that's why I'm in the town of Lakeshore right now. Chiron has been sending me all over the U.S. trying to find other people with 'special' abilities. But to be completely honest, I doubt that there's anyone with any similar talents living in this God awful place. I've been to almost all of the major cities across this country and have found nothing. What makes him think that I will find someone in such a small, not to mention dangerous, town?

During my first few days here I saved this guy from getting killed by these three thugs. He was a complete idiot for walking around the streets at night with nothing to protect himself with. I felt bad for him so I decided to help him out just this once. I try to use my abilities the least amount as possible, but these guys were twice my size, so I thought it was necessary. I took them out easily and I guess all of the karate training that Chiron put me in kind of helped too.

When the guy that I saved came to thank me, he looked totally surprised that I beat these thugs up. I felt sort of insulted by that, but quickly shrugged it off. He tried to be friendly with me by introducing himself as Percy Jackson. Ok, I'm not going to lie to you, this guy was attractive. And by attractive I mean like I have never seen anyone like him before, and I've met MANY people. He was tall, I'd say around six foot, with messy raven black hair and bright ocean green eyes that any girl could just melt in. If I wasn't such a freak, maybe I'd actually consider being his friend. Sadly, my life isn't so simple and I'd rather live without any friends for the rest of my life than have people look at me with fear.

Percy tried to find out my name and I took that as my cue to leave. I ran as fast as I could until I reached my temporary home. Chiron insisted to pay for me while I stay here, but I denied his offer. I didn't want to feel like I owed him anything so I decided to pay for it myself. I didn't have much money on me, so all I could pay for was a small place that looked like a shack with exactly one room. It was old, dirty, and disgusting, but I didn't care. I've stayed in worse places than this before. Trust me when I say, you don't even want to know the places I've been in.

I sighed as I laid down on the dusty broken down mattress. There was something that really bugged me about that Percy guy. I try my best to not read people's thoughts anymore, but I just couldn't resist the urge to find out what was going on in this guy's head. But something strange happened when I tried. Usually, I could hear people's inner voices instantly, but when I focused on him all I got was silence. I have no idea why I couldn't read his mind and not knowing something really bothers me.

A month has passed since I saved Percy and I still couldn't figure out why my mind reading ability failed with him. I decided not to dwell on the matter too much since I doubt I will ever see that guy again. Although, there's something inside of me that's telling me to go find him. I ignore it nonetheless. I have a strange feeling about this guy and I'd rather not discover what it is.

Chiron thought it would be a good idea to sign me up for school. I don't know why since technically I already graduated. I'm only seventeen, but Chiron has been homeschooling me my whole life. I have learned all the curriculum that other students are still learning. I guess my mind helps me become a fast learner and to be honest, I really didn't want to learn all of this stuff again. Chiron eventually convinced me to go by saying that at least one aspect of my life should be normal. He knew that I wanted to be normal more than anything in the world so that's why I am now attending Goode High. What Chiron didn't know was that even though I agreed to go to school, that didn't mean that I was actually going to try.

I know I'm smarter than everyone there so what's the point? What I really came for was the experience of being in an actual school... not redoing the work. No, I'm not going to make any friends there... I just want to see what the high school environment is really like. I know I shouldn't have expected this, but when I stepped into Goode High I imagined it would be like the high school you see in the movies. I have never been so wrong in my entire life!

It was chaos. That's the best word to describe it. There were kids beating up other kids, girls making out and throwing themselves onto other students, and around half the student body was either drunk or high. Man was I foolish to think that this was going to be like the school in 'High School Musical' that I watched before I came here. What? Don't look at me like that! I only watched it because Zac Efron was in it. That guy is so hot, but not as attractive as Per- Wait what am I saying? You know what, forget I even mentioned it.

I really didn't want to attract any attention to myself so I put my grey hood overtop of my head. It didn't work though. People knew that I had never gone here before and I could already hear the whispers that surrounded me as I walked down the hall.

"Who is that?"

"What are they doing here?"

"Is that a boy or a girl?" I sent my most deadliest glare towards a girl with straight long brown hair who was standing on my right. She had a cheerleading outfit on and was surrounded by a group of girls who I guessed were her friends. She smiled evilly at me as her friends began snickering from her comment.

I hated being confused for a guy because of the way I dressed. I always wore the same outfit because that was all that I could afford. Sure Chiron had bought me clothes, but I refused to wear them. Like I said before, I don't like to owe people anything. So I always wore my grey sweater that was at least two sizes too big with my white tank top underneath, my somewhat ripped blue jeans, and my old black converse.

"Oh my mistake," the girl began "I didn't know Goode accepted animals as students now. What farm did they dig you up from pig?" She said it loud enough for everyone in the hallway to hear. They all started laughing at me, but I didn't really care because I've heard way worse than that. I've met girls like these before and I wasn't going to let this plastic Barbie have the satisfaction of putting me down on my first day here.

"The same farm that they brought you in cow. Although, it seems as if you've gained more weight since you've been here... If that's even possible." I grinned triumphantly as she stood there shocked while the students around as laughed even more. She was going to say something else, but I stopped her by mentally opening the locker that she was standing beside and slammed it onto her face. She started to cry out in pain saying that her nose was broken. Oh well! That's what you get when you mess with Annabeth Chase.

The bell rang which meant that I was late to class. Eh, like it matters. I'm not here to impress the teachers anyway. If I'm ever going to receive the full high school experience, then at some point I was going to have to be tardy. I've already managed to get through my first verbal fight with a cheerleader, so I think my first day is going pretty well.

Once I finally made it to the class the teacher was really pissed off at me. She reminded me of one of those Furies that you read about in Greek Mythology. She was that ugly! I scanned the room and decided to read my classmate's minds and find out their first impressions of me. It went something like this:

_'Ew why is she dressed like that?'_

_'She looks pretty easy, I might fuck her.'_

_'She looks like a poor slut.'_

Nice comments huh? They didn't faze me though. I've been through too much to have little opinions like that hurt my ego. I continued my scan until I suddenly heard silence. I was now staring at Percy, the guy who was somehow immune to my ability. What the hell is he doing here?! Out of all the classes he could have been in, he just had to be in mine. Well this officially sucks!

I made my way to my desk which just so happened to be beside Percy. It was an old, ugly, rickety desk that oddly smelled like bacon. Great... As if this day could get any worse. To my surprise it did. Percy started sending me notes saying that he had something that belonged to me. I didn't believe him at first until he mentioned my bracelet. That's when I lost it. No one, and I mean NO ONE, touches my bracelet!

Why am I so protective of my bracelet? Well it's because it was given to me by my birth mother before she... left. I'll spare you the boring back story, but long story short, she gave me a charm bracelet with two charms to remember her by. One was of the New York Yankees logo. She loved baseball and apparently the Yankees were her favourite team. The other was of an owl's head. The owl was her favourite animal because it is the wisest of all creatures. She always said that knowledge is the most powerful thing in the world, so I could see why she loved the owl so much.

I had one more charm on my bracelet that was given to me by Chiron on my sixteenth birthday last year. It was just a silver A for my name, but I still loved it. It was simple and there was nothing really extravagant about it. I guess that's why I liked it so much. I wanted to be simple just like the A.

Honestly, I wasn't just mad at Percy for having my bracelet. I was mad at myself for being so careless with it. I mean, it's the only thing I have to remember my mother... How could I have just let it slip away and not even realize it?!

I felt the anger start boiling up inside of me when Percy wouldn't give back my bracelet unless I had lunch with him. First of all, I don't have a lunch. Second of all, how dare he keep something so personal away from me! My emotions sometimes trigger my abilities, especially my telekinesis, so I wasn't really surprised to see Percy's desk start to shake. If he didn't give back my bracelet soon, he was going to get thrown off of that desk and get smashed like a pancake with it.

I decided not to speak or look at him ever again once he returned my bracelet. It was kind of hard since I have almost every class with him, but I managed to dodge him for the rest of the day. I don't know how I could do this for the rest of my visit here though. This was definitely going to be difficult.

**~oOo~**

A week has passed and I already feel like dying. Remember when I said I wanted to go to high school to feel normal for once in my life? Yeah well, I don't feel that way anymore. I'd rather be homeschooled by Chiron for the next twenty years than stay another minute in this hell hole! The girls were bitches and always made fun of me (which resulted in them getting hit with a random object), the guys were perverted, and Percy would never leave me alone! He kept apologizing for keeping my bracelet, but I wasn't even mad at him anymore. I was now annoyed. This guy doesn't know how to take a hint and just keep his mouth shut. Why does he have to be so persistent?

Oh and I didn't even mention what he did on the second day. When I walked into class late, as usual, I noticed that the old disgusting desk that I was supposed to sit on was not there anymore. Instead, it was replaced by a nice clean one. It turns out that Percy switched his desk for mine as an apology. I could hear the thoughts of his friends saying that he has gone mad and I couldn't help but agree with them. I can't believe that he would actually sit in that horrid desk for the rest of the year just so I can forgive him. He's probably pulling some type of angle, so I decided to make it look like I didn't even notice the gesture.

I know that it was pretty cruel what I did, but I've learned that no one does things just to be nice anymore. There's always something in it for them. And yes, I'm including Chiron in that synopsis. I don't trust anyone at all, so why would I trust a guy that I've only known for a couple of days?

It was Friday and as the final bell rang, everyone began bursting out of their seats to go back home or to a party or something. I obviously had no plans so I thought that I would roam around the school for a bit until the janitors decide to kick me out. I found the gym and my mood immediately changed. I love playing sports, but I was never able to be on a team since I was homeschooled. I loved playing basketball though. It's one of my favourite sports because I just love the feeling I get when I make a basket. It feels so freeing and it gives me so much confidence, like I could do anything in the world.

The equipment room was locked, but I used my telekinesis to open it with ease. There are very few times when I actually find my abilities helpful and this is one of those moments. I grabbed a basketball and began dribbling and shooting like there was no tomorrow. It was so much fun that I instantly lost myself. It was just the net, the ball, and me... No one else.

Around twenty minutes have passed and I was sweating a lot from the workout. I was breathing heavily as I took another three-pointer that ricochet off of the metal rim and ended up at the other side of the gym. I was tired enough as it is and I really didn't feel like going across the gym to get the ball so I used my ability.

I extended my arm out and concentrated. The ball levitated slowly and sure enough I was able to put it in the net with a perfect swish. I did a little happy dance as I exclaimed "Oh yeah! Three points for Annabeth Chase! And the crowd goes wild!"

I suddenly heard a gasp coming from behind the bleachers. I abruptly stopped my victory dance as I stared in the direction of the noise. I silently cursed myself for not checking if there was anyone around watching me. How could I have been so careless?!

"Who's there?" I asked with my most confident voice, but no one answered. The gym was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. I didn't tear my gaze away from the bleachers. I was positive someone was watching me and I couldn't let them escape and tell the world about me.

"Look, I know you're there! So it's either you come out willingly, or I go there after you!" I was losing my patience with this person since they were not coming out. I decided to just confront them myself, but as I took once step towards the bleachers the person immediately began running to the exit doors.

_Oh no you don't! _I thought _There's no way I'm going to just let you spill my secret! _

I used my telekinesis to lift the body up and away from the doors. The person that I had trapped was a tall guy with raven black messy hair- Wait a minute... Oh my gods! It's Percy! What the actual fuck?! Why was he spying on me?! Is he like a stalker or something?!

He began squirming, but that did no good. My anger was fueling my power and I used all of my mental strength to slam him against the gym wall. Don't worry, I made sure I didn't break any of his bones, but I'm pretty sure he's going to get some fairly nasty bruises in the morning.

He groaned in pain on the ground as I walked towards him. I used my ability again to stand him up and pin him against the wall. I glared at him as he just looked at me like I had antennas coming out of my head. I _hated_ that look... It only made me angrier. I think you can tell by now that I have some anger issues.

"Why were you spying on me?" I said furiously though my gritted teeth.

"I wasn't spying on you! I was coming from swim practice when I saw you in here" he explained "I was going to ask you if you wanted to grab a slice with me when I saw you... Levitating the ball."

I didn't say anything after that. I let my mental grip on him fade and he sighed in relief. I didn't take my eyes off of him though, just in case he decided to sprint away again. We didn't speak for a good three minutes until I interrupted the silence.

"You can't tell anyone" my anger has gone now, so I said it more calmly.

"Why not?" he asked curiously. Is he actually that dumb?

"Oh I don't know," I said sarcastically "maybe because people would hunt me down, call the cops on me, or use me as some freakish experiment!"

"Why would people do that? Your superpower is awesome!" He grinned at me and for some odd reason I felt my face start to burn up. Why was I blushing?! I NEVER BLUSH!

"Because... People are afraid of me. They always have been and they always will be. People don't like things that are different from them and I am most definitely anything from normal." As the realization dawned on me, I suddenly felt extremely sad. I would never fit into society. I would never meet people that would like me for who I am. I would always be a freak.

Percy took a step towards me "I'm not scared of you."

I laughed coldly "Oh really? Then why did you try to run away from me?"

His expression took one of guilt "I'm sorry about that. I was just really surprised and well, I didn't know what else to do but run." I focused on his face and tried to read his mind again, but there was still silence. I really wish I could hear what he was thinking. That way, I'd know for sure if he was lying or not. I hated this insecurity.

I sighed "I guess I can't blame you for getting freaked out, but I can't let my secret get published."

"I promise I won't tell anyone" his eyes held so much certainty that I almost believed him "Scout's honour." He then crossed his heart with his index finger and smiled at me. I stared at him emotionlessly. I was still unsure if I could trust him or not, especially since I couldn't know what he was thinking. After a minute of pondering to myself, I made up my decision.

"I'm sorry Percy, but I can't trust you. Which means..." I took a deep breath as I continued "you have to come with me to Texas."

If I were actually joking, I would have laughed from the look he had on his face. Unfortunately, I was dead serious. I have officially messed up again by having someone find out about me, so I have to take him to Chiron. Whenever I would mess up, Chiron told me to take said person or persons to him so that he could erase their memory of me. He created this machine as a precaution and we now use it at least two or three times a year.

"You're not serious are you?"

"I have to take you to Chiron so that he can erase your memory of me. And don't think you can just say no and I'll leave you be. It's either you go willingly, or you go forcefully." I've had a few unpleasant moments where people didn't cooperate. So, I had to use my ability on them whenever they tried to run. It really tired me out and I'd have to rest for a good week to regain my energy after basically dragging them to Chiron. I really hope that Percy wouldn't be that type though.

He thought for a minute before answering "I really don't want to forget you. You're different, but in a good way and I feel like we could be really great friends." I felt the blush rising in my cheeks. Damn him! That's the second time he's done that to me! It's getting annoying!

"But," he continued "if you really don't trust me to keep your secret. I'll go with you to Texas." Whew. That was a relief! Dragging Percy all the way to Texas would have been extremely tiring.

"Ok, let's go. I'll call Chiron and tell him that we're leav-"

"Wait, we're going right now?!" he interrupted "I have to get some stuff first and tell my Mom. I can't leave just like that!"

I sighed. I forgot that he has a family that might be wondering where the heck he went off to and things that he would need for a long trip such as this. It must be nice.

"Alright, but you can't tell your Mom the reason for why we're going. Just say that it's like a school trip or some contest you won." He nodded in agreement as we walked out of the school.

"So, is telekinesis the only power you have, or is there more?" I don't know why he's asking me this if he's going to forget it soon enough, but I thought I might as well start up a conversation.

"No, it's not the only thing. I can also read minds-"

"I'm sorry, you can do what?" Percy and I turned around to find two other people looking at us with shocked faces. There was a boy with dark brown hair and pale skin and a girl with spiky raven black hair and electric blue eyes. They both stared at us waiting for our answer, but we didn't respond.

"Are you going to answer the question or just keep staring at us like we just got struck by lightning?" asked the spiky haired girl.

_Oh great _I thought _Now I have three people to drag to Texas. This is going to be a long trip._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I hope you liked the chapter! Please review/comment about your thoughts on the story so far. I'd love to hear what you think of it. **

**I hope to update sometime soon, like in the next few days. I have a lot of ideas for this story and I can't wait to write it all!**

**Bye for now! :) **


	3. An Unknown Talent

**Disclaimer: I do not own the incredible human being that is Percy Jackson! Gosh, how many times do I hate to say this?!**

* * *

**Percy POV**

I always had a feeling that Annabeth (yes I know her name now) was hiding something, but I never knew that it would be a secret THIS AWESOME! I was still pretty shocked though when I found out what she could do. Especially since she used one of her powers on me. Although I had told her that she didn't scare me, it still freaked me out when she just picked me up with her mind. It felt like there was a giant invisible hand grabbing you just threatening to squeeze all the oxygen out of your body.

Truth be told, I was kind of jealous of her. Here she was being all super-humanly awesome with her mind reading and telekinesis and here I was... Just a poor teen struggling to even get a C in school. So I guess you could say that I was pretty surprised when she asked me not to tell anyone about her abilities. If I were her, I'd make sure that no one messed with me or my family ever again. I understood why she kept it a secret though. Plus, something inside of me realized that she's probably been through a lot because of her gifts.

When she told me that we have to go to Texas I was completely stunned, especially with the fact that I was going to be brain washed. I was about to protest when I saw the look in her eyes. She looked tired and defeated, like she had done this trip with people many times before. I suddenly felt a strong urge to help her. So I decided that if getting my memory erased was going to lift some burden off of her shoulders, I was going to do it, but not without finding out more about her first. And who knows? Maybe I'll convince her to trust me along the way. That's one thing I knew for sure about her. She had major trust issues.

As we walked out of the school, we were caught by Thalia and Nico who overheard Annabeth talking about her abilities. They both looked extremely shocked, impressed, and confused all at the same time.

"Are you going to answer the question or just keep staring at us like we just got struck by lightning?" Thalia demanded. I looked at Annabeth only to find her scowling to herself. It didn't seem like she wanted to explain, so I decided to just do it for her.

"A.C. here is special. She can read people's minds and she has the power of telekinesis." Both Thalia and Nico's eyes widened while Annabeth just looked annoyed.

"What am I thinking about right now?' Nico asked.

Annabeth sighed "You're thinking about how happy meals are the greatest invention known to man."

Thalia scoffed "Anyone could have guessed that! That's all Nico thinks about!"

"Hey!" Nico protested "That's not all I-"

"Try to read my mind" Thalia said challengingly.

Annabeth rolled her eyes "You're thinking about how good looking Mr. Apollo is." Nico and I both scrunched up our noses in disgust while Thalia grinned approvingly at Annabeth.

"Ok, one last test"

"Haven't I proven myself to you yet?" Annabeth whined.

Thalia ignored her protest "Read Percy's mind."

She focused her eyes on me and I could already feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I really wished Thalia hadn't suggested the last test because all I could think about in that moment were how pretty Annabeth's eyes were. Sure they looked extremely intimidating, but I liked the fierceness in them. Ugh! Stop it Percy! Try to think of something else like... pens or something!

After a few seconds of analyzing me, she shook her head in frustration. Did she really get mad about me thinking that she had nice eyes? Last time I checked, compliments were supposed to make people smile.

"You know what," she said while waving her hands in annoyance "I don't have to prove anything to you people! You've just made my job three times harder by showing up and finding out about my secret. We're wasting time just standing here and if we don't hurry up, we'll never make it to Texas." Thalia and Nico were taken back.

"Wait, you're going to Texas?" Nico asked clearly confused.

"No, ALL of us are going to Texas." Annabeth corrected.

Thalia put her hands up in protest "Hold up! We're not going across the country with a girl that we don't even know for absolutely no particular reason! You have to at least tell us why!"

"You three know too much about me, so I have to take you to Chiron to get all of your memories of me erased. That's why we have to go to Texas as soon as possible."

"And if we refuse?" Nico asked.

Annabeth glared at us as she responded "I'll drag you all there by force."

Nico, being the idiot that he is, didn't believe she could take us all to Texas on her own. So he crossed his arms over his chest trying to look tough and said "Oh yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?"

Annabeth's eyes darkened and I could see the different shades of grey starting to swirl in anger. She gave Nico a look that said _'Really kid?' _and she stretched her arm out towards him. Nico was soon being lifted off of the ground and it took all of my strength to keep from laughing at him. He was swinging his arms and legs like a madman yelling for her to put him down. She started doing a circular motion with her finger which made Nico starts spinning like crazy. His face turned from a pale white to a dark shade of green. Annabeth set him down not long after that and all you could hear was Nico's groaning and Thalia's hysterical laughter.

She walked over to Annabeth and gave her a high-five "Now _that _was the most impressive thing I have ever seen!" Annabeth tried to stay serious, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

As Nico was recovering, Annabeth pulled a silver Iphone from her pocket and began dialing. She went into the corner of the room so that no one could hear the conversation, but I was still able to catch a few words.

"Hey, it's me... Yes again... Three this time... I've lasted longer than... I tried, but one of them... He's a pest... a ride?... That's fine..." I scooted closer to her as quietly as I could so that she wouldn't notice me. I wanted to hear what she was saying to this Chiron guy.

"There's something else" she continued "I don't know why, but one of my abilities didn't work on them. I keep trying, but all I get is silence." I didn't see that coming. How can one of her gifts not work on someone? Hmm... I wonder who it was. "Yes I got it. Boat, plane, then car. I'll see you in a few days." She turned around and glared at me as I did my best to look as nonchalant as I could.

"You know, eavesdropping isn't a very good habit" she said while crossing her arms.

"Who said I was eavesdropping?" I replied defensively.

She sighed "Let's just go to your houses to grab the things you need and get out of here. We need to get to the docks by five or else we'll miss our boat."

"Don't you need to pass by your house? For food? Clothes?"

She looked at the ground trying to hide her sad expression as she said "No. This is all I own."

Realization then struck me like a lightning bolt. No wonder her clothes were ripped and dirty. Not to mention, she was thinner than an average teenager. I suddenly felt bad for bringing it up, but all I could say was "I-I'm sorry."

Her face hardened "Don't be. I don't need pity. Let's just go."

We were able to convince Thalia and Nico's moms to let them go to Texas without too much of a hassle, but my Mom was a completely different story. We had to make up some crazy story about Thalia winning a radio contest which included four tickets to go to Houston, Texas that left tonight. My Mom was extremely wary of letting me go and I couldn't blame her. We've stuck together all these years and I really didn't want to leave her here to fend for herself, but I didn't really have a choice.

After half an hour of trying to convince her, she eventually agreed. She gave me a backpack with everything she thought I could possible need. From underwear, to Doritos, to even a first aid kit. Thalia and Nico started snickered when she gave me a long, and embarrassing, hug goodbye.

"Be safe Percy" she then kissed my cheek and sent me off saying "Oh and I remembered to put in your stuffed Panda in case you get home sick."

I stared at her in disbelief "MOM!" Thalia and Nico were hysterically laughing now while Annabeth was doing her best to hide her smile.

I walked alongside Annabeth on our way to the docks while Nico and Thalia were arguing over God knows what. It was silent for a long time and I couldn't help but catch a few glances over at her every now and then. She was so different than any girl I've ever met and not just because of her powers. I wanted more than anything to know more about her because she just seemed so... interesting. I wished that she would just trust me enough so that I could get to know her.

_Pshh! Like that will happen! _exclaimed the voice in my head _She's making you get all the memories you have of her erased. That doesn't exactly scream 'Hey! Let's be best friends!' _

My thoughts were interrupted by her voice "You're really lucky you know."

"Wuh?" Way to sound intelligent Percy...

"Your Mom" she explained "You're lucky to have her. I can tell she cares about you a lot. Probably more than you know."

I nodded in agreement. It was silent again until I got the courage to ask her "What about your parents?"

Her face hardened "What about them?"

"Well, I'm sure that they care about you too. Don't they?"

"They never gave two shits about me" she replied through her gritted teeth "They can go rot in hell for all I care." Ok... Remind me to NEVER bring up the topic of her parents again!

Once we made it to the docks, Annabeth lead us to a small cruise ship called the Princess Andromeda. There were many couples and families climbing aboard wearing fancy looking outfits. I suddenly felt out of place with my dark blue jeans and plain green t-shirt.

The passengers were giving this tall, bulky looking guy who was wearing all black their tickets for the ship. Thalia then looked over at Annabeth and asked "You have our tickets right?"

Annabeth replied with a "Nope" making sure to pop the 'p'.

"Then how the hell are we supposed to get in? The security guard over there doesn't look like he'd just let four random teenagers aboard without tickets" Nico said while pointing at the bulky man.

"Don't worry, I'll get us in there. Just wait here and don't even think about running away because I'll know" Annabeth warned.

We watched as she calmly walked over to the large guard. The guard was looking at her with an annoyed expression, but soon enough, his eyes widened from her words. He started shaking his head in agreement as he reached in his grey duffel bag to give her four gold bracelets. He had a nervous look on his face as she took the bracelets and walked back over to us.

"Here. These bracelets are for the premium passengers, meaning that we can go anywhere, do anything, and eat whatever we want while aboard" she explained while giving each of us the a solid gold band.

"How did you convince him to give this to you?" I asked amazed.

"If I concentrate hard enough, I can find people's memories. That guy has done A LOT of crime in the past and was never caught for it. So naturally, I threatened to tell the police about all of his offences if he didn't give me a way in."

Thalia grinned appreciatively at her while patting her on the back "You're pretty badass! You are officially my new best friend."

"HEY!" Nico and I yelled at the same time.

Thalia shrugged "Sorry guys, but A.C. over here is _way_ cooler than you two combined."

That's when I first heard Annabeth laugh. I was shocked to hear how angelic and carefree it sounded. It was a fresh change from her usual serious demeanor. For the first time, I felt like I caught a glimpse of the real Annabeth. I liked it.

Annabeth's knees suddenly started to buckle, but Thalia caught her before she fell. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah" Annabeth replied while waving her hand dismissively "This sometimes happens if I push myself too much. Finding that guy's memories took a lot out of me." Her face began to pale slightly so I grabbed her arm just in case she'd start falling again.

"Come on, let's take you inside" I suggested "You're not looking so good."

We were now sitting in our cabins. Thalia shared a room with Annabeth while I shared one with Nico. He slumped onto his bed and started to fall asleep until I threw a large pillow at him.

"You can't be tired now!" I exclaimed "It's only six!"

Nico threw the pillow back at me "It's been a long day Perce. I mean, we've met a girl who can read minds, access your memories, and lift you up fifty feet in the air with just a wave of her hand. Not to mention, we're going to Texas against our will to get our minds brain washed! So sorry if I feel just a little bit tired from all that information sinking in."

I put my hands up in surrender "Ok cranky pants! I'll let you sleep!" I then grabbed a sweater from my backpack and headed towards the door of the cabin "I'm going to explore for a bit. See you later." Nico then murmured something incoherent as I closed the door behind me.

Although the cruise ship wasn't very big, it had A LOT of stuff! There was a pool on the sky deck, many nice restaurants, a ballroom, a bar, and a bowling alley! This ship was absolutely incredible! If only my Mom could see this, she'd probably faint at the sight of the prices for the restaurants. I mean forty dollars for fish?! No thank you!

I leaned over the side of the ship and looked down at the crashing waves. I suddenly felt something in the pit of my stomach. I wasn't hungry... So that couldn't be it. Maybe I was sick? No, I get sick like once every two years. The feeling started getting stronger and I strangely began to have the urge of jumping in the water. I felt like it was calling to me, just waiting for me to jump in. I shook my head dismissing the thought when I heard two people arguing around the corner. I slowly peeked my head from behind the wall and was surprised to see Annabeth yelling at this guy.

The guy looked around our age with short blonde hair and a pretty built frame. I couldn't see his face since his back was facing me, but I could already tell from Annabeth's expression that he was pissing her off.

"I swear if you don't stay away from me, I will personally put you in a hospital bed" Annabeth warned.

"Oh come on blondie," the guy said teasingly "no need to get so violent. I just want to have some fun!"

I froze in my stance. I knew that voice. That's the voice that's taunted me for eight long years! That voice belonged to none other than my arch nemesis Luke Castellan.

Let me give you a little description of Luke. To put it simply, he's the mother of all assholes. Not to mention, he's in one the most dangerous gangs in all of New York; the Titans. They basically do everything gangs are supposed to do, but ten times worse. In other words, you should try to stay on their good side... Unlike me.

I'm number one on Luke's hit list. Every time he gets a chance, he makes my life completely miserable. Why you may ask? Well, when you figure it out tell me, because I have no idea either. He just tries to make my life a living hell every chance he gets by either stealing my stuff, vandalizing my house, and beating me up every other day. I've managed to avoid him all summer and for the first week of school, but I honestly didn't expect him to just show up on this cruise! No one who lives in Lakeshore has any money, so I have absolutely no idea how he was able to afford this.

"Yeah right" Annabeth said in a disgusted tone "I know what you _really _want, so get away from me you creep." I had no doubt in my mind that Annabeth knew what Luke's true intentions were. He's considered the most attractive guy at school, and he's known for his reputation with girls.

Annabeth started to walk away from him when Luke suddenly grabbed her and pinned her up against the wall. He moved so fast that it surprised both Annabeth and I.

"You know you can't resist me. So why even try?" Luke asked in what I was guessing was his seductive voice.

Annabeth's eyes narrowed at him as she growled "If you don't let go of me in three seconds, I'll make sure that you won't ever have children."

Luke dared to laugh at her threat "Playing hard to get? That's alright, I like 'em blonde and feisty."

He started to lean in to kiss her and although I knew Annabeth could easily toss him off the boat, I just felt the urge to beat the crap out of him. I pulled him off of her and punched him in the face causing him to fall hard on the floor. He looked at me surprised, but it soon changed to a look of malice.

"Well, well, well" he said while getting up "if it isn't Perseus Jackson." I cringed. I hated the sound of my full name and Luke knew it. "How did they let you aboard? Did your Dad- Oh wait! I forgot, you don't _have _a Dad."

I was boiling mad now. Not only did he disrespect Annabeth, but he's bringing my family into this, and that was unacceptable. The boat suddenly began rocking violently back and forth causing the passengers to start falling off balance. I ignored it though.

"Just stay away from her Luke" I spat "Unless you want another encounter with my fist."

Luke scoffed "Why so protective Jackson? Is she your girl or something?" I felt my face turn beat red from his comment as Luke just sneered "Like she would ever be with a weak idiot like you. I've met pigs with a higher IQ than you."

"There's no need to refer to your family as pigs Luke. Everyone already knows." I heard Annabeth snort from behind me which suddenly gave me a new found confidence.

Luke glared at me and soon enough, we were in a full out fist fight. Now I don't mean to sound cocky or anything, but I'm actually a pretty good fighter. I've learned from my many experiences with other kids at school. Unfortunately, Luke was better. He always seemed to never run out of energy and his reflexes were so fast that it seemed like he was moving in fast forward. Long story short, I haven't won a fight with him yet.

Luke found an opening and was able to hit me right in the jaw. He then kneed me in the stomach and I toppled over in pain. Annabeth rushed over to my side and examined my throbbing jaw.

"Percy!" she hissed quietly "What were you thinking?! I could have taken care of myself!"

Is she serious right now?! Here I am getting beaten to a pulp trying to help her and she gets mad at me! Well sorry for trying to be a good friend! Geez, I will _never_ understand girls...

Luke then pulled Annabeth away from me and said "Come on babe, you don't want to hang around with him. He's nothing. Just a worthless piece of crap."

The feeling in the pit of my stomach had returned and it was being fueled with my anger towards Luke. I clenched my teeth and suddenly felt a surge of energy run through me. All I could hear was the water crashing against the boat. I then felt extremely light and free instead of tense and rigid.

I looked at Luke with the deadliest stare that I could give and for the first time in probably his entire life, Luke Castellan looked scared. I caught a glance at Annabeth whose eyes looked like they were going to come out of their sockets. I didn't know what was so strange about me, but I suddenly felt like I could run a marathon.

I finally understood what was making them stare at me like I was an alien. Before I could even blink, a large wave came over top of the entire ship. Luckily, the wave didn't send any passengers overboard or sink the ship, but it did injure a few people and cause a whole lot of wreckage.

Annabeth and Luke were coughing on the floor while spitting out the excess of water from their systems. The weird part was that I was standing in the exact same place before the wave hit. It hadn't affected me in the slightest bit. In fact, I was shocked to notice that I wasn't even wet.

I took the opportunity of Luke's disorientation to pick up Annabeth bridal style and carry her to her cabin. During the way there, Annabeth's coughing died down and to my surprise she didn't protest in me helping her. Instead, she just stared at me with a mixture of confusion and joy. I really wished that I had her mind reading ability right now, just so I could finally know what was going on in that head of hers.

Once we got to her room, I set her down on her bed as she looked at me with concern. "Percy?" she asked "Are you alright? You look really pale." I couldn't respond because my mouth just forgot how to form words. The room started spinning a hundred miles per hour and I could feel the energy that I had on the skydeck begin to die down. Eventually my knees gave out and I hit the floor with a hard thump.

"PERCY!" Annabeth cried. I could feel her presence beside me, but she was slowly slipping away. All that I could register in my head was that I was tired. Why was I so tired?

"Oh my gods" was the last thing I heard before I completely blacked out.

**~oOo~**

I woke up feeling groggy. I couldn't remember much of what happened except that Annabeth was there and there was a lot of water. I slowly sat up on the bed I was laying at the same time that Annabeth came into the room.

"Oh good, you're up." She then handed me a glass of water with two pills that were a bright shade of yellow.

"Is this Tylenol?" I asked, still a little dizzy.

"No, it's something much more efficient" she replied "It's called Ambrosia."

"Never heard of it" I then popped the two pills in my mouth as she let out a small laugh.

"Of course you've never heard of it. Chiron invented it specifically for me, just in case I ever... Lose control."

I eyed her warily "What do you mean lose control?"

She sighed "Well, sometimes, my abilities get the best of me. Instead of me being in charge, they take over. After I have what Chiron calls an 'episode', I take these pills to help with the pain or disorientation that follows."

"Then why are you giving them to me?" I asked clearly confused.

"Because Percy, for around nine years now, Chiron has been sending me across the country to find other people who have abilities just like me. I've scouted the entire nation and have found no one... Until you." I was about to laugh when I noticed she was being completely serious.

"Me?!" I exclaimed "But, I'm not like you! I don't have any special powers! I-"

"Percy, I know it's a lot to take in, but you do have an ability. And by the looks of it, a very strong one at that."

I was breathing heavily. How could I suddenly have an ability that I didn't even know about for seventeen years?! Saying that I was shocked was a complete and utter understatement.

"What's my ability?" I asked softly.

Annabeth looked at me like I was the biggest idiot on the planet "WATER SEAWEED BRAIN! You can manipulate water!"

"How could I do that?"

She rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh "I don't know Percy. All I know is that when you were fighting Luke on the skydeck, your eyes just turned a dark shade of blues and greens. Then you started raising your hands and behind you was this massively large wave. To make matters even weirder, when you carried me back to the cabin, I noticed that you weren't even wet from the waves impact."

I listened to her with a stunned expression. I didn't recall raising my arms and calling upon the water, but apparently that's what I did. I noticed that the medicine started taking effect and soon enough, I was feeling as alert as ever.

"So," I began after a minute of awkward silence "I've turned into Aquaman."

Annabeth looked at me and swung her head back laughing. "Yeah" she said in-between breaths "I guess you did."

I guess the blackout made me a little slow because I hadn't even realized what she called me until now. "Hey! I'm not a Seaweed Brain!"

She smiled at me and I suddenly felt my heart stop. She looked really beautiful when she smiled. Her face would brighten and her eyes didn't look so guarded.

"You kind of are. And since your ability is water manipulation, that can be your superhero name" she teased.

I scowled "Ha ha Annabeth. Very funny."

She instantly tensed. I gave her a concerned look "Annabeth? What's wrong?"

"You... You know my name." At first I thought this was a silly statement, but then I realized what she meant.

"Yeah" I replied while nervously scratching the back of my head "I heard you yell it when you got that three-pointer back at school. Is it alright if I call you by it?"

She looked at the ground as she responded "Only three other people know my name. Could you just, not call me by it in front of other people?"

"Why? It's a pretty name. It suits you well." I said the last part without thinking which made me turn as red as a tomato and mentally facepalm.

Annabeth's cheeks turned a bright shade of pink as she said "Thanks. Umm, I-I'm going to go check on Thalia and Nico. There's still a few more hours until we reach Atlantic City."

Before she left I grabbed her wrist and asked "So does this mean that I'm not getting brain washed?"

She smiled "I'm not sure Seaweed Brain. We'll see if you're worthy enough."

She was about to open the door to leave when she suddenly jogged back to me and gave me a bone crushing bear hug. I was surprised at first, but I soon hugged her back.

"Thanks Percy" she whispered even though there was no one else in the room.

"For what?" I whispered back.

"For making me realize that I'm not alone."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Whew! Writing is a total workout for your brain! I feel exhausted! **

**I hope you liked the chapter! Please comment/review about your thoughts/ideas of the story! I would greatly appreciate it! **

**The next chapter will be posted soon, but for now, PEACE OUT FELLOW DEMIGODS! **


	4. Thalia the Weatherwoman

**Ready for chapter 4? I know I am! :D**

**Disclaimer: I can dream as much as I want, but sadly I will never own Percy Jackson :( All rights go to Rick**

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**Annabeth POV**

Shocked. That's the best word to describe how I feel right now. Of course there are others that I could use like stunned, surprised, flabbergasted, dumbfounded, astonished, or confused... But I think shocked basically sums it up.

So apparently Percy has abilities now. Long story short, his anger towards this guy named Luke who was trying to hit on me suddenly triggered his abilities. It must have taken a lot of hatred for them to just all of a sudden come out of nowhere after seventeen years.

To be completely honest with you, I had mixed feelings about the whole situation. On one hand, I was ecstatic to find someone who was different like me. I mean, that's what I've been searching for these past nine years. Someone who I can relate to. Someone who will remind me that I'm not alone in this world. Someone who will just... understand. On the other hand, it scared the living crap out of me. I would never admit this to anyone since I'm not afraid of anything. Except for spiders, those beasts are going to take over the world someday... I just know it.

Anyways, back to the topic at hand, I was frightened beyond belief. I know I shouldn't be like this. I mean, isn't this what I always wanted? To find someone like me? Well, what if I don't want that anymore? Ugh, I know I'm sounding bi-polar, but the idea that Percy is the only other being in this world that is similar to me, freaks me out. Why did it have to be him?! Why couldn't it be like... Oh I don't know, a shoe salesman or some pizza guy? Why did it have to be him?!

Now that he has an ability, Chiron won't ever erase his memory. Chiron will most probably convince his Mom to go on more crazy quests with me to find other kids like us. That would mean that I would be with Percy 24/7. I would have to wake up to his stupid goofy face and then go to sleep seeing his annoying smirk and mesmerizing green eyes- Wait, what the Hades? I don't think his eyes are mesmerizing! They're so irritating! Every time I look at them I feel like I'm melting into a pool of water- WHAT! NO STOP! Just because I can connect to him with our gifts now, doesn't mean I'm going to fawn over him! Stupid teenage hormones...

I won't ever tell him this, but Percy's water manipulation is kind of cool, yet scary at the same time. If you had seen him summon that wave, you would understand what I mean. The way he was able to just lift his arms up and move the water without a second thought was astonishing and well, quite impressive. It was also pretty disturbing because of the way he looked while doing it. It was like he wasn't there anymore. It was as if Percy was replaced by this extremely powerful being that could drown you instantly with a flick of his hand. His eyes darkened and the green and blues crashed together. Making it look like there was an actual hurricane brewing up inside of him. His face was emotionless and it turned almost pale white.

I figured that this happened because he wasn't in full control over his power. What bothered me though, was that if he didn't learn to control his abilities soon, his gifts would take complete control over him... And who knows what he could do. I have never felt intimidated by anyone in my entire life, except in that moment. There's also the fact that I can't read his mind. I'm still pretty pissed about that. Mostly because I don't know why I can't and that just makes him even more intriguing- Not that I find him like, interesting or anything it's just... Oh never mind!

So we finally reached Atlantic City. Percy wasn't in the best condition during the trip here because of his 'incident', so we decided to wait until we reached shore to tell Thalia and Nico the news. Once we did, there was a long silence. It was a mix between disbelief and utter amazement.

"Well this isn't fair" Nico commented after him and Thalia just stared blankly for five minutes.

"What's not fair?" Percy asked confused.

Nico raised his eyebrow "You're kidding me right? You can move water at any time you want AND not get affected by it! You're basically a superhero!"

Percy scoffed "I don't feel like one at the moment. I just feel abnormal, like I'm some sort of freak."

I tried not to flinch at his words, but I couldn't help it. It brought back too many unpleasant memories of my so called family. And if Percy thought of himself as a freak... Then what would he have thought of me? I've taught myself to not get so fazed when people thought that, but what Percy said hurt. I did my best to hide my sadness and anger, but I guess I'm not as great of an actress as I thought.

Percy looked at me with his eyes suddenly full of guilt "I'm so sorry Annabeth! I didn't mean it like you were a freak because you're not! I'm just not used to-"

"Whatever" I said while raising my hand to cut him off "I don't care what you think of me, let's just get going or else we'll miss our flight."

I started walking away, leading them towards a bus stop when I heard Thalia mumble to Nico "I like her name." That's when it hit me. Percy just said my name when I specifically told him not to. HE'S SUCH A SEAWEED BRAIN! Can't he do ANYTHING right?!

I abruptly stop and glare at Percy. He looks at me with the same confused expression that he always has and to put it plainly, I lose it.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SO CARELESS SEAWEED BRAIN?!" I yell "I trusted you with one of my secrets and you just blabbed it out without even knowing! Now these two know my name! Which I specifically told you to keep to yourself!"

Percy had a panicked look in his eyes and that's when I realized I had lifted him off the ground. I could feel my abilities trying to take over, but I have had enough training to get them to subside their control. I took a few breaths to calm down and released Percy. He fell on the ground with a thump and for some reason I started to feel guilty.

"I-I'm sorry" I heard myself say. What was I doing? He was the one who told my secret! "I shouldn't have lashed out on you like that."

I now realized why I was apologizing. I was embarrassed. I haven't had my abilities overcome my barriers for a long time and I guess I let my emotions get the better of me. I looked down ashamed at what I have and could have done.

To my surprise Percy put his hand on my shoulder and said "Hey, it's alright. I know what it feels like to have those gifts take over remember?" I looked up to find him smiling at me. I suddenly felt my stomach do a few somersaults at the gesture. UGH! Whoever thought of the incredible idea of giving teenagers these insane hormones was positively mad.

Percy scratched the back of his head nervously as he continued "And for the record, I'm sorry for just spilling your name out like that. I knew it was extremely personal to you and I should have been more careful."

"Can I call you Annie now?" I turned my attention towards Thalia who was looking at me with hopeful eyes.

I just glared back at her and said "No! Absolutely not!"

"What about Beth?" Nico suggested.

I rolled my eyes "It's either you call me Annabeth or A.C. If you call me anything else, I will personally throw you off a cliff." They both put their hands up in surrender.

"Whatever you say Annabeth" Thalia said while giving me a bright smile "So, is this flight taking us straight to Houston?"

"No," I responded while handing the bus driver some change "the flight will only take us to New Orleans and then we have to take a car the rest of the way."

Percy groaned "I hate planes."

"How come? You aren't scared of heights are you?" I teased.

"No!" Percy protested "It's just unnatural!"

"How is a plane unnatural?" Nico asked while trying to hold in his laughter.

Percy's face began to turn a bright shade of red "Because! How can something that large carry like a hundred people across a country while flying a thousand feet in the air? That just like, defies the laws of physics! I don't trust it."

Is he always this idiotic? I shook my head in disbelief and was about to correct him when Thalia said "Well that's too bad for you Kelp Head because we're going on that plane no matter what. So suck it up princess!"

Percy just glared at her as we walked off the bus and entered the terminal. Chiron told me which flight to get and where it was so I was able to easily lead the others in the right direction. When we reached the area where security asks for the passenger's tickets and passports, Thalia grabbed my arm and asked "Please tell me you have the tickets for the plane."

I chuckled as I shook my head and said "Nope" while popping the 'p'. They all looked at me with disbelief.

"How the hell are we going to get on that plane then?" Nico asked "I doubt your abilities will get us through all that security."

Well, this feels a little like déjà vu. What with Thalia questioning me and Nico doubting my skills. I just smirked at them as I heard them think the exact same thing. _'This girl is insane!'_

"I'm not crazy." Both of their eyes widened, probably remembering that I can hear their thoughts. They looked like a pair of very startled owls which made me let out a small laugh as I continued "I'll be able to get us through security no problem."

"How are you going to do that?" Percy asked.

"I've got a friend who works as a security guard here." I explained "I helped him out once so he owes me a favor. He can help us get through and get on the plane without any questions asked."

"Well then," Thalia said while locking her arms with mine "let's go find this guy!"

Will wasn't too hard to find. Once I spotted him in the crowd, I waved and called his name so he could notice me. When he finally saw me, he grinned widely and ran over to us giving me a large hug.

"Hey A.C.!" Will exclaimed "Long time no see! How have you been holding up?"

I shrugged "Eh, you know me. Always on the run."

He laughed "As usual. I can tell you're still the same old troublemaker." He then looked behind me and smiled "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends A.C.?" I almost forgot that the others were behind me, but I made sure not to make it look like I had forgotten about them.

"Of course! Will, this is Thalia, Nico, and Percy" I said while pointing to each of them "Guys, this is my friend Will."

They all greeted each other cheerfully except for Percy. When Will said hello and shook his hand, Percy just looked annoyed and grumbled his greeting back to him. Will raised his eyebrow at me saying _'What's his problem?'_, but I just gave him a look saying _'I have no idea'._

"So Will, I need to ask you a favor."

Will smiled while doing a slight bow "Anything for you my lady."

I gave him a playful shove "Still the same old charmer huh?"

He winked at me while showing off his perfect smile "You know it! Except my charm does have its limits."

"Oh really?" I teased " What girl could have possibly resisted the Solace charm?"

"I'm looking at her."

I felt myself slightly blush, which just made Will grin widely. I always knew he had a thing for me, but I never saw him that way. He had helped me out when I was traveling through Atlantic City and I always saw him as a big brother and nothing more. He had tried asking me out a few times and I'll admit that it was tempting, but I refused every time. Will was well built and at least six foot with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was your perfect boy next door.

Someone cleared their throat from behind us. I turned my head to see Percy suddenly stand beside me and quite closely if I might add.

"About the favor," Percy began while giving Will a slight glare "we need you to help us sneak past security and get us on the plane to New Orleans."

Will eyed Percy skeptically, but soon turned his gaze back to me "Sure, I'd do anything for A.C. here. She saved my butt more times than I can count." He winked at me again while gesturing us to a door that read 'Airport Personnel Only' "Come on, everyone's either working or on break, so this is the best way to get through."

Will linked his arm with mine and almost immediately at the same time, Percy did the same. I looked between the two guys and mentally sighed. What the heck is up with them? It seems as if they're both ready to kill each other!

Thalia broke the silent war between them by shoving each one away from me and linking her arm with mine "Well come on! We don't have all day! Let's go catch that plane!"

I made a mental note to thank Thalia for that later.

Will was able to lead us to the doors of our plane no problem. He also got the flight attendant who was working there to give us first class seats. I went over to Will to say goodbye and thanks for helping us which lead to him pulling me in for a large hug. Now I'm not much of a hugger (except for that one time I hugged Percy, but that was out of happiness nothing more... ok?), but I let Will hug me anyways.

"I'll miss you A.C." he said while releasing his grip "Next time, don't wait a year to stop by and see me."

"I'll try. I hope to see you again soon Will, and maybe we'll be able to catch up at that coffee place I like so much."

He winked "Is that a date?"

I rolled my eyes "You're impossible."

We all waved goodbye to Will as we entered the long hallway to get on the plane. Will flashed me one last smile and a "See you later!" before returning to his post.

"So what, is he your boyfriend or something?" Surprised, I turned my head to see Percy with a slight scowl on his face.

"No," I said defensively "he's like a brother to me."

Percy's eyes immediately softened "Oh, then how do you know him?"

What was this, 20 questions? Why was Percy so interested in Will all of a sudden?

I sighed "I met him here while I was scouting for other people with abilities. It was cold and raining and I needed a place to stay, but all the hotel rooms were either too expensive or booked. Will found me outside this coffee shop and he offered me a cup and a place to rest. If he hadn't come along, I probably would have slept on the streets."

I know he didn't mean for me to hear it, but once I was finished I heard Percy mumble to himself "He's still a stupid pretty boy."

I frowned, clearly confused by what he meant. Then it hit me. Was he jealous of Will? No. There's no way. I've only known Percy for a few days, how can he be jealous of someone who I call my brother? Still, it wouldn't hurt to find out.

"Why are you asking all of these questions? You're not jealous of Will are you?" I said it teasingly so he would know that I was only kidding, but his face still turned a bright shade of red.

"NO!" he protested "Why would I be jealous of him?! I'm the one with water powers!" He sighed "Let's just go to our seats."

Okaaay... I didn't expect him to just burst like that, but I quickly shook it off and went to my seat beside Thalia. The plane took off not long after and soon enough, we were halfway through the flight without any complications. That is, until I heard these two snobby rich girls sitting in front of us snickering.

"I wonder how they let her on the plane?" said the one who sounded like she had a nasal problem "I mean look at her! She looks like she just walked out of a garbage can!"

"Like, yeah!" agreed her overly pampered friend "Have you seen her like, clothes? I bet she like, got them at like, a charity bin."

They both started laughing annoyingly and I knew that they were talking about me. I didn't really care since I've heard much worse than that before. I was going to let it slide when I felt Thalia tense beside me.

"They can't talk about you like that!" she exclaimed through her gritted teeth "I'm going to give those no good plastic wannabe Barbies a piece of my mind!" She quickly stood up before I could protest and then took a step forward towards the snobby girls and eyed them with a deadly glare.

"Who do you think you are talking about my friend like that?!" Thalia yelled. _'Friend'_? I hadn't even realized we were friends since I'm still wiping her memory of me away... And possibly Percy's too. Damn! I haven't even thought about erasing their memories of Percy now that they know of his ability! We shouldn't have even told them in the first place.

The nasal girl snorted "We are heiresses. Who are you? The maid?"

The plane began to shake as Thalia's nostrils flared with rage "At least I'm not some surgically enhanced Barbie doll! I could tell from a mile away that your nose isn't real."

They both gasped from her comeback. "Like, how dare you!" yelled the overly pampered one "We'll have our daddies like, sue you!"

"Maybe you should have your _daddies _sue the guy who did your nose jobs" Thalia retorted "I never knew they gave an option to have witch noses."

The nasal girl instantly stood up and slapped Thalia across the face. The plane started to shake violently which caused to the pilot to put the seatbelt sign on. I looked out the window to see massive storm clouds starting the engulf the plane. There was thunder, rain, hail, and lightning surrounding the plane and I couldn't help but wonder if we were going to make it out alive.

I turned to see Thalia eyeing the two rich girls who were screaming from the extremely rough turbulence. There was something really off about Thalia though, and as I looked at Percy and Nico who were sitting in the seats across from us, I could tell that they thought so too. Her face started to pale and her short spiky black hair was beginning to point up as if she had just been touching one of those electricity beams that you find in a science center. Her eyes were the most disturbing though. Her natural electric blue changed to what looked like a dark black cloud colour with sparks of white shining through.

I immediately understood what was happening and I looked over at Percy only to find him staring at me with the same expression. We both lunged at Thalia and knocked her to the ground.

"Let me go!" she growled.

"Not until you calm down Thalia!" Percy yelled. The plane suddenly began to drop at an exceedingly fast rate. The passengers were screaming like their lives depended on it and I knew that if we didn't calm Thalia down in the next few seconds, we were all going to die.

"Thalia look at me!" I yelled desperately trying to get her attention "You can't let it control you!" She was sweating like mad and her face was getting paler by the second.

Her eyes quickly changed to their original blue colour as she softly said "I can't. It's too strong." Then almost immediately, her eyes changed back to the stormy black.

"Thalia! Listen to me!" If she didn't control her powers soon, she could not only kill herself, but the rest of us as well "You have to find something to hold on to! Something that's extremely important to you! Think of that! And hold onto that thought until you feel your abilities diminishing in strength, then TAKE CONTROL!"

The plane continued to drop and I could feel my heart racing as I thought to myself _'This is how it's going to end. Dying in a plane crash. And there was nothing you could do to stop it.'_

Out of desperation, I hung onto Percy for dear life. I could feel his body shaking in fear as he wrapped his arms around me protectively. Then miraculously, I felt the plane start to rise up. I still buried myself into Percy's chest not daring to let go, just in case it was my mind playing tricks on me.

After a few minutes, I realized we weren't dead. I felt Nico pat us on the shoulder saying "Um guys, the plane got through the storm. You can get up now, we're safe." I felt my face turn beat red as I quickly pulled away from Percy's embrace. Strangely, I missed the warmth that his arms held.

I promptly composed myself and looked down at Thalia who was lying on the floor passed out. Percy and Nico set her on a seat as the flight attendant came by to give us some wet rags to put on her head.

The intercom soon chimed in "Well folks looks like the sky has cleared up, so we'll be continuing our planned flight towards New Orleans. It was a close call, but be thankful we got out of that storm alive."

I looked out of the window only to find a bright blue sky. There was no trace of any storm which made it seem like the insane weather never even happened. I looked over at Percy and Nico who were staring at Thalia like she had just mutated.

"So," Nico said while taking a deep breath "will she be alright?"

"As long as she gets some rest, she should be ok" Percy responded.

"I just can't believe it" I said while looking at Thalia with a shocked expression.

"What?" Nico asked "That we got out of the storm alive?"

I shook my head "No. That Thalia has the ability to control the weather."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**So, Thalia has powers now. WOOHOO! I'm excited for her, even though she almost died from them.**

**I wonder if Nico is going to get any powers ;) Hmmm... what would they be? What do you guys think? I'm just curious to know. **

**Please comment/review on the chapter/story! Tell me what you think of it so far, or even if you have any questions. I'd be happy to respond to them, as long as it's not too big of a spoiler. I want to keep surprising you guys :)**

**Anyways, I have a lot of surprises down the road, so stay tuned and keep reading! :) I'll update as soon as I can! **


	5. Nico Orders a Happy Meal

**HEY GUYS! I'm back and ready to rumble! I've liked your ideas on what Nico's ability would be and I hope you enjoy what I have in store for you :) Read on young demigods! Read on!**

**Warning: Profanities have been used in the making of this chapter. Do not be alarmed because well, you have been warned.**

**Disclaimer: I love you Percy Jackson, but sadly I do not own you. We can only be together in my dreams (oh Gods I'm getting sappy)!**

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**Percy POV**

Once we got off the plane, I guess you could say that I literally kissed the ground.

"Oh thank the Gods!" I exclaimed while trying to hug the floor "Land! Oh how I love you land!" Thalia rolled her eyes while Nico laughed and Annabeth stared at me with her eyebrow raised.

"Is he _always_ this dramatic?" Annabeth asked.

"Yup" Thalia replied "He's a drama queen all right."

"Hey! I wasn't the one who almost killed us with my new uncontrollable weather powers!"

Thalia glared at me "It wasn't my fault! How was I supposed to know I had them! And for your information if it wasn't for Annabeth I could have _died_!"

"GUYS!" We both looked over at Annabeth who had an annoyed expression on her face "If you don't stop bickering I'm going to throw you both off the roof of the airport! So shut up!"

We both kept quiet, but Thalia still sent me a menacing glare which I responded by sticking my tongue out at her.

"How come I don't get powers?" Nico complained.

Thalia scoffed "Because any powers you have would be completely lame."

"No they wouldn't!" Nico protested "They would be totally awesome!"

"Sorry to break it to you dude," I said while patting his back "but Thalia's right. You'd probably have some weird sleeping ability or like, the power to summon and eat any food you desire without getting fat."

Thalia laughed while giving me a high-five. We had a strange friendship. One minute we'd be arguing and the next we'd be laughing while making fun of Nico. I wouldn't change it for the world.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Annabeth asked "I got the keys to a rented car we can use."

"That was quick. When did you get those?" I asked.

She shrugged "While you and Thalia were making fun of Nico."

"Sweet!" Nico exclaimed while snatching the keys away from Annabeth "I'll drive!"

Thalia quickly took the keys away from Nico "No way Death Breath! I don't want to get in a crash! I'm driving."

"Actually," Annabeth interjected "I think Percy should drive."

"Why me?" I said completely stunned.

"Because Thalia is still weak from her episode, I don't think I can concentrate on the road with other people around me, and frankly... I don't trust Nico's driving skills."

We all laughed as Nico just grumbled to himself saying "I'm an amazing driver."

We reached the parking lot and followed Annabeth as she looked for the car. We passed all of the older looking ones and we soon reached the area where all of the fancy expensive cars laid.

"Umm Annabeth? Are you sure we're in the right place?" I asked while gaping at a Mercedes Benz.

"Positive" she replied while walking towards a black convertible with a retractable top. She tried the key and the driver's door swung open. She grinned widely as she waved her hand over the car. "So? What do you think of our new ride?"

All of our jaws just completely dropped. I have never even sat in a car this incredible before, let alone _drive_ one!

"I think we should name it" Nico said while slipping into the back seat. They all stayed silent while pondering the name of our new car.

"How about Blackjack?" I suggested. Annabeth smiled and I could feel the palm of my hands start to sweat. What's wrong with me?! She's just _ONE_ girl!

_Yeah. _said the voice in my head _One incredibly awesome, smart, pretty-_

_STOP!_ I yell back _She's just a friend! And that's how it's going to stay! _

The voice in my head scoffed _Oh yeah of course! That's why you were all protective and jealous when that Will guy showed up. _

I decided to ignore it after that, not only because it was annoying me, but because it was also right. I was so jealous of that guy and I don't even know why. I mean, I've known Annabeth for almost two weeks now and I'm getting jealous of a guy that's only been her _friend_ for a few years. I don't even know her that well! That gives me no right to start being all protective of her... Even if I want to be. Ugh! I'm just going to shut up now.

"I like it" Annabeth states "Now put the car in drive Seaweed Brain or else we'll never get to Houston."

The drive from New Orleans to Houston was about five and a half hours long. It was already eleven at night when we reached Beaumont. I was dead tired from the drive and Nico and Thalia were fast asleep in the back seat. I looked over at Annabeth to find her wide awake.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked baffled at how she could possibly be so alert after such a long day.

"No," she replied "I don't like sleeping that much anyways."

"Really?" I took the opportunity to learn more about her without having Nico and Thalia interrupting us "How come?"

She sighed "I don't like to talk about it."

Okaaay... So that plan died. I was still determined to learn more about her though, even if it was just about her sleeping habits.

"Come on!" I persisted, but she just shook her head. Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind "How about you tell me something about yourself, and I'll tell you something about me."

She raised her eyebrow at me curiously "And why would I want to know stuff about you."

"Because we're friends" I stated plainly "and if we're ever going to be _best_ friends, I'm going to need to know more things about you."

"So you're proposing we do some sort of twenty questions kind of thing?"

"Exactly!" I exclaimed, happy that she understood "Except it will be like a never ending twenty questions."

"I don't know Percy." I don't think she liked the idea of opening up to me, so I decided to spice things up a bit.

"How about we make it into a game?" Her head instantly perked up "We ask each other whatever question we want with no limits on how personal or embarrassing they may be. At one point, if one of us asks a question that the other doesn't want to or isn't able to answer, then they lose."

"Do I get something if I win?" I hadn't planned on giving her anything, but I agreed.

"What do you want if you win?"

She smiled mischievously "I'm not telling you until I win."

"You mean, _IF_ you win" I said with a large grin.

She rolled her eyes "Ok, let's start" She then furrowed her eyebrows and bit her lip in concentration. I had to force myself to look at the road ahead of me instead of staring at her. I would never admit this to anyone, but she looked kind of cute like that.

"Why didn't you say goodbye to your Dad before we left?" I sighed. I guess we're hitting the hard questions early.

"He disappeared when I was four and never came back."

She went silent for a minute before responding "I know how you feel." Well, didn't see that coming. I actually expected her to say 'I'm sorry' or 'Don't worry, you'll see him again', you know, the usual things people say in these types of conversations.

"Really? Did your Dad disappear on you too?"

"No I wish" she said bitterly "It was actually my Mom. She left when I was around two without any explanation."

"Oh" was the only thing I could say so I decided to switch topics by asking another question "Why don't you like sleeping?"

She stiffened and I thought she wouldn't answer my questions, but she soon took a deep breath and said "Because I get nightmares."

"Nightmares?" I asked confused "But, everyone gets nightmares every once in a while-"

"No" she said as her eyes darkened "I get nightmares every night and they aren't like normal people's nightmares. They are almost vivid and sometimes I wake up with bruises and scars on my arms because of them."

I stared at the road silently until I thought of what to say "What are your nightmares about?"

Annabeth shook her head "Nope. It's my turn Seaweed Brain." I groaned as she laughed lightly.

So that's how I got to know a bit more of Annabeth Chase. I learned that she hates spiders, her favourite colour is grey, she loves architecture and books, and she lived on the streets for almost a year until Chiron Brunner took her in. She told me about her parents and how badly they treated her. She told me about her first impression of me and how she almost squashed me with a desk when I told her I had her bracelet. She told me almost every story about her adventures across the U.S. and how she was sometimes chased out of a city. She told me how she never like to owe people anything and that's the reason why she dressed like, in her words, a hobo since she didn't want to take Chiron's money. She also told me that she didn't really rent the car, she actually used her telekinesis to grab the keys from the worker's desk.

_Great_! I thought _I'm driving a stolen vehicle!_

The more I got to know her, the more interesting she was. And every time she asked me a question, I felt my heart start beating a million miles per hour. Not because I was nervous to answer the question, but because I liked the idea that she had an interest in me. Damn it... I'm starting to sound like a sap.

I was going to ask her what her nightmares were about, but she seemed so shaken up that I decided to ask her a different question that's been on my mind for a while.

"So, do your powers have limitations?"

She looked at me with a curious yet guarded expression "What do you mean?"

"Well, like, are there times where it doesn't work on people?" She was about to answer when I quickly added "_And_ if they have, then who was it?"

She froze. For once I thought I was going to win the game and yet, I didn't want to win so quickly. I really wanted to know the answer to the question so I prayed to all the Gods that she would find the courage to respond to it.

She let out a deep breath and quietly said "Yeah... It happened once."

"Who was it?" She looked at me and I swear I thought I saw her cheeks turn pink, but it was so dark outside that it was hard to tell.

"It was you Percy. I can't read your mind."

What?! ME?! Why me?! And all this time I thought she knew all of the crazy ideas that were going on in my head... Hmm, maybe her not being able to know what I'm thinking, isn't that bad.

I pulled up in a motel parking lot as she let out an exasperated sigh "And you know what the worst part is?!" I looked at her expectantly as she ranted "I don't even know why! How come my abilities work on everyone else besides you?! What makes you so special huh?! Why do you get to be immune?! I just don't understand! And the more I think about it, the more I want to know what's going on in that seaweed filled head of yours!" Her hair then fell in front of her as she covered her face with her hands.

"Sorry" she mumbled "I know I sound like some weird stalker, but I just hate not knowing."

As I parked the car, I looked at her and couldn't help but feel sorry for her. I didn't like seeing her like this. I'd give anything to see her smile and laugh again. I don't know what came over me, but I reached my hand over and tucked her hair behind her ear. She tensed from the contact, but she didn't push me away. She dropped her hands from her face and stared at me with wide eyes. I didn't move my hand back. Don't ask me why because I honestly don't know myself. I guess I just didn't want to.

"Uh... P-Percy?"she said in a soft voice "What are you doing?"

Good question! One that I don't know the answer for!

I couldn't stop myself. I was leaning in slowly as I whispered "You know, if it really bugs you that much, you can just ask me what I'm thinking, and I'll tell you."

I was still leaning in. Our faces were only inches apart and she wasn't pulling back or leaning forward. She just stayed in one spot, staring at me with those large grey orbs as she stammered "W-What are you thinking r-right now?"

We were centimeters apart. "I-I was... Thinking that... I really want to-"

"What are you guys doing?" asked an annoyed Nico. Annabeth and I both jumped away from each other causing me to hit my head on the roof of the car. "Can't you see that people are trying to sleep here?"

"I-I'm going to find an empty room for us" Annabeth said as she rushed out of the car.

I could feel my face turning as red as a tomato as I said "I'm going to the washroom." I ran from the car as fast as I could until I found the washroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and noticed that my cheeks were still flushed and my eyes looked completely wild.

_What have I done?_

**~oOo~**

It was around seven in the morning. Everyone was still asleep, but I was wide awake. I roamed around the motel aimlessly, thinking about what I did last night.

_I almost kissed Annabeth._

Why would I even _think_ about kissing her?! Sure she's incredible, but we're just friends. That's all we'll ever be. She told me in our game that she's never liked anyone in her life and that she doesn't plan on it anytime soon. Which means that the chances of her and I dating are slim to none.

Not that I was thinking about asking her out! I mean, she was about to have me brainwashed a few days ago and I just got her to remotely trust me. Well, now I'm probably back in square one because I doubt she's going to continue trusting me after the stunt that I almost pulled.

I kicked a can in frustration which caused some guy to yell "OW!" I immediately hid behind a wall before the guy could turn around and see it was me.

"What the hell?" he said angrily "Who's there?!"

I know that voice... But, it couldn't be. Why would Luke be here? It couldn't have been a coincidence that he's in the same motel as us. This doesn't seem right... Is Luke following us? But why?

"It was probably some stupid kid sir" said a guy in a low gruff voice "Do you want us to deal with it?"

"No," replied Luke "leave them alone. We have more important things to do. We have to find which room Jackson's staying at."

My eyes widened. What the hell? Why was he looking for me?

"Do you think he knows about his abilities yet sir?" asked his companion.

"Of course he does!" Luke yelled "That's why I've got to get to him and the others before they start to figure out how to control them!

WOAH! Let's take one _MASSIVE_ step back! Luke, the guy who's basically the leader of the Titans gang and enjoys making my life a living hell, _knows _about my ability?! How the frig did he find out?!

_Maybe it was when you almost drowned him in that monstrous wave? _replied the sarcastic voice in my head.

Okay... Point taken. But wait, what did he mean by others? Oh gods. Was he talking about Annabeth and Thalia? Well, he doesn't know Annabeth, so he must be talking about Thalia and... Nico? But what can Nico do?

"What about the blonde girl sir? She's leading them somewhere."

"Well maybe if _someone_ had been doing a better job in watching them, they wouldn't have left with her!" Luke snarled.

"Sorry sir" the guy said in fear "It won't happen again."

"It better not. Or else you'll have to deal with me" Luke threatened "Now I have to hurry up, the boss is getting impatient. He want them handed to him as soon as possible so I'm going to go find them. Just be ready with the van at the front entrance. I'll meet you all there in... Three minutes tops."

"We'll be ready sir."

Suddenly a gust of wind whisked past the wall I was standing behind and I swear I saw a glimpse of a large male figure shoot past me like a flying bullet. My mind was instantly on red alert. Luke was looking for us and I had about less than three minutes to get myself and everyone out of here. So I ran. I ran like my life depended on it. I burst through the door of our room and everyone immediately woke up from the noise.

"Luke!" I panted "Here!... Coming!... LEAVE!"

"Percy" Annabeth said while yawning "What in the world are you talking about?"

"Luke knows about us" I explained as I started to catch my breath "And for some reason he wants to kidnap us."

Nico abruptly got out of bed and yelled "Then why didn't you say so?! Let's go!"

We gathered all of our belongings as quickly as possible and sprinted towards Blackjack. Luckily, I parked him just outside of our room, so it only took us about thirty seconds to be on the road again. Well, Annabeth's telekinesis did help a lot.

I didn't care that I was going past the speed limit. I wanted to get as much distance between us and Luke as fast as possible. When I finally thought that we were far enough away I heard Luke's voice from behind us.

"Going somewhere Jackson?!" I looked in the rear view mirror to find two black vans chasing us and Luke sticking his head out of the window with a blow horn of one of them "Pull over Jackson! Don't make this harder than it has to be!"

"I don't think so Castellan!" Thalia yelled.

"Yeah!" Nico agreed "If you really want to stop us, why don't you come over here and do it yourself?!"

From the rear view, I could see Luke grin evilly from Nico's suggestion "With pleasure!" He suddenly jumped out of the van and started running at incredible speed. He ran faster than the vans and was eventually able to catch up to us in a matter of seconds.

WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON?! Since when did Luke have SUPER SPEED?! I honestly can't look at people the same way anymore!

"Miss me Jackson?" Luke sneered while running beside the driver's door "If you pull over, I promise I won't hurt any of your friends... Especially blondie over there."

The way Luke referred to Annabeth made my blood boil. Before I could respond, Annabeth leaned over to the drivers side and yelled "Fuck you asshole!" She used her telekinesis to open the driver's door causing it to slam hard against Luke. He went flying in the air and crashed against a large pine tree. Unfortunately, the vans were still behind us. Nico then leaned to the front and pressed a button causing the retractable roof to come down.

"Nico!" Thalia yelled "What do you think you're doing?! We're not on some joy ride!"

"I have a plan to get rid of the vans!" Nico yelled back "Use your ability to summon some lightning and shoot them with it!"

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Thalia shrieked "I ALMOST DIED LAST TIME I USED MY POWERS!"

"JUST DO IT!" we all yelled. I had to admit, it wasn't a bad plan, as long as Thalia kept her powers in check, we should be fine.

"Alright! Calm your tits!" She then looked back at the vans and soon enough, the sky started to turn from bright blue to a purplish black. Thunder began to erupt as large stormy clouds made its way over top of us. From what I could see in my rear view, the guys in the vans looked pretty damn scared... And they should be. By herself, Thalia is a pretty scary person, but with powers... Let's just say you should start digging your own grave.

Thalia let out a yell as the first lightning bolt hit the van on the right causing it to explode and crash onto the curb. Thalia almost collapsed from the effort, but Nico held her up.

"Come on Thals!" he encouraged "Just one more!"

"I-I'm so exhausted. I don't know if I can" she replied in slow breaths.

"You can do it Thalia!" Annabeth exclaimed enthusiastically "Just take a deep breath and concentrate on the strike, not what your body is telling you. If you do that, you won't pass out."

Thalia did as she was told and the second van erupted and flew against a nearby tree. We all cheered as Thalia crumpled into Nico's arms. Fortunately, she didn't pass out. She actually grinned like a madman and said confidently "I'm so freaking awesome."

We laughed and congratulated Thalia for her efforts. Sadly, our celebration didn't last too long. Suddenly, out of nowhere a cop car came from behind us. He blared his sirens telling us to pull over. I did what I was told since I really didn't want to go to jail.

The policeman came walking towards us and said "Licence and registration please." He was a little chubby with dark black sunglasses and a look that clearly stated he didn't like to joke around.

I started looking for the registration when Annabeth quietly mumbled "Percy, start driving."

"What?"

"Percy!" she whispered in my ear "We don't have the registration! I basically stole the car remember?!"

"Shit!" I exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Excuse me?" asked the police officer as he lowered his glasses "If you don't give me your licence and registration young man, I'm going to have to arrest you."

"Sorry," Annabeth chimed in "but we have more important things to attend to." Blackjack suddenly started moving at incredible speed leaving the cop yelling behind us to stop. I desperately grabbed a hold of the wheel before the car started spinning out of control.

"What the hell Annabeth!" I yell "You could have at least warned me you were going to do that!"

"I told you to start driving, but you didn't listen to me!" she yelled defensively

"Whatever! Now we're going to have the cops on our tail because _you_ decided to steal the car-"

"Hold up!" Nico exclaimed while waving his hands "You stole Blackjack?!"

"Uhh... Maybe?" Annabeth replied sheepishly "But that's not the point! The point is how much of a stupid seaweed brain you are Percy!"

"Oh _I'm_ stupid?!" I yelled in frustration "Maybe you should rethink who's the stupid one here Annabeth! I wasn't the one who committed a felony!" She was really starting to piss me off. None of this was my fault so why the hell was she blaming me for stuff that I didn't even do?!

"How about next time someone offers you money to buy something you need, you _use_ it instead of just waving their hospitality away?! Why do you have to be so damn proud?!" I was now glaring at Annabeth as she gave me a death stare back.

"UGH! You wouldn't understand you arrogant son of a-"

"WATCH OUT!"

Thalia's yell surprised me so much, but luckily I was able to dodge the tree I was going to hit. The unlucky part was that once I swerved away from the tree, Blackjack started to slide across this old looking bridge and I completely lost control. Blackjack broke through the railing of the bridge and we all screamed as the car plummeted towards the thrashing river underneath.

I wanted more than anything to use my powers to save us, but all I could think about at the moment was 'AHHHHH!' and 'WE'RE GOING TO DIE!'

Suddenly, a black foggy cloud started to form around the car and I was sure I had gone insane. I shut my eyes and grabbed the nearest thing that was next to me as I prepared myself for the impact. I kept on screaming as I waited and waited and waited.

_Man,_ I thought _this is a long way down!_

I was still screaming when I felt Annabeth punch me in the shoulder. "PERCY! Shut the fuck up! We're not falling anymore!" I opened one eye and noticed that somehow, we were at a McDonald's drive-thru.

"Uh" Thalia began "What the hell just happened?"

For some reason I felt something warm in my right hand and as I looked down I saw Annabeth's hand interlocked with my own. I felt my face start to heat up and I think she noticed at the same time I did because her cheeks were cherry red. She pulled away and looked back at Thalia and Nico. Her embarrassed expression changed to one of complete worry.

"Nico?" she asked "Are you alright?"

I turned my head to find Nico paler than usual and his eyes completely black. He was panting and sweating like he had just ran a marathon and he looked like he was going to pass out at any second.

"Perce," he managed to choke out "order me a 'Happy Meal' with large fries." His body then just gave out and he collapsed onto Thalia's lap.

Annabeth looked at me with wide eyes as she whispered "You don't think..."

I nodded my head as I responded "Yup. I don't know how, but Nico just saved our lives."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**YAY! Nico has powers! And yes I said powers as in plural. This ability won't be the only one he gets ;) What's the other one you ask? Well, if I told you, I'd have to kill you... Just kidding! But actually, I won't tell you what it is until later :P **

**So as you all must know, school has started. Which means I won't be able to update as frequently as I'd like to. I am also finishing up my other story 'An Unforgettable Summer' so I'm trying to update that one more often so that I can have my complete focus on this story. To be completely honest, I like this story a lot better than my other one because it's more action based and a lot more fun to write, but if you like mushy and fluffy fanfictions, go check my other one out :) **

**I'd like to thank you all for your continual support and please comment/review your ideas/thoughts about the chapter/story! :) **

**Until next time demigods! Peace out! **

**P.S. There's going to be a lot of shocking twists in the future chapters so stay tuned! ;) **


	6. New Realizations

**Hey guys! Now that I've basically finished my other story, I will have more time to update this one! :) I'm really excited about this, so without further ado, here's chapter 6! **

**Warning: MAJOR PERCABETH! **

**Disclaimer: Sadly, Percy Jackson does not belong to moi :(**

* * *

**Annabeth POV**

We all sat in the McDonald's parking lot trying to comprehend the situation. Percy looked absolutely flustered, Thalia was trying to wake up an unconscious Nico, and I was doing my best to not freak out.

After a long silence I finally spoke up "This can't be happening."

Percy raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?"

"I mean, how can I possibly find three people with powers just like mine all in one place? It just doesn't seem right. It's too strange for it to be just a coincidence."

"I agree" Thalia said while nodding her head "Another thing that bothers me though is how come our powers never kicked in before? Why now?"

"Maybe it's because you guys didn't know that certain people could do these things?" I suggested "Maybe once you met me and you had a strong emotion, your powers just sort of appeared."

Percy sighed "What I don't get is why Luke is chasing us. Back at the motel, I overheard him talking to someone saying that they had us under surveillance. I don't know how, but he also knew about our powers before we did."

That was disturbing. How can this Luke guy know about their powers ahead of time? There had to be a reason, and I was determined to find out. There were just so many unanswered questions that it started hurting my brain just thinking about it.

"Speaking of powers," Thalia began while pointing at Nico with her thumb "what's his?"

"It has to be teleportation" I explain "How else could we have ended up here when we really should have been at the bottom of a river dead?" I shrugged "And who knows if he has other powers too. You guys have some pretty strong abilities, I have a feeling that teleportation isn't Nico's only talent."

Percy slumped against his seat "Well, what happens now?"

I gave him a confused look "What do you mean?"

"Our original plan was to go to Houston to get our minds erased, but now that our abilities just decided to kick in, I don't think you'd want us to forget about them. Especially with Luke on our tail."

I cursed. He was right. Don't _ever_ tell him I said that, but it was true. How can I take away their memories when they would most probably need their powers to protect themselves? Well, that leaves only one solution.

"We're still going to Houston" I said "I want you guys to meet Chiron so that he could show you how to control your abilities. With powers as strong as yours, you're going to need all the training you can get."

Nico grumbled in the back seat. His eyes fluttered open as he groaned from the pain. Thalia helped him sit up against the seat and he looked at us with tired eyes "Did you get my Happy Meal?" Percy tossed the bag back to him and he ate the contents with a smile on his face. It felt kind of weird seeing him smile like that. It didn't match his dark, gothic looking appearance. But I'm glad someone in this car has a smile on their face.

"I don't mind going to Houston" Thalia chimed in "If it means I get to train to kick Luke's ass I'm all for it."

"Not if I get to him first Thals" Percy teased. His stomach then grumbled loudly. His cheeks turned a slight shade of pink as I let out a small laugh.

"Hungry are we?"

He smiled sheepishly "Just a little. How much money do we have left?"

Thalia searched her pockets, backpack, and jacket, but shook her head "I don't have the wallet. One of you must have it." We all searched everywhere, but came up with nothing.

"Where the hell did the wallet go?!" I exclaim frantically.

"I don't know!" Percy replied "Nico was the one in charge to get it when we were rushing out of the motel." We all turned to face Nico who was stuffing french fries in his mouth.

"Well you see," he looked down nervously "I might have forgotten to take it."

"WHAT?!" we all yell in unison.

"There was at least seventy dollars in there Nico! We needed that money for food!" I was boiling mad now, not to mention, I was starting to get hungry myself. And when I get hungry... Let's just say, you better watch out.

"I'm sorry" he said while extending the french fry cup to us "We can share what's left."

Percy rolled his eyes "I can't believe I spent the last amount of money I had on a freaking Happy Meal." We all devoured the fries in seconds, but we all knew it wasn't enough to last us the day.

"Maybe if we find a local convenience store somewhere, I could get us some snacks or something" I said.

Percy looked at me disapprovingly "We're not stealing again. Stealing is what lead us here remember?"

"No," I argued "what lead us here was your horrible driving."

Percy's jaw clenched "Well maybe if _someone_ hadn't been yelling and distracting me-"

"Oh my gods shut up!" Thalia yelled "You guys are acting like an old married couple!" Both Percy and I shut out mouths as we turned a bright shade of red. "Ok, so how far is Houston? If it's close enough maybe we could eat at that guy Chiron's place."

I looked at the map "We're actually not that far. Houston is only a few hours away, so we can definitely make it there before dark. I think Nico's teleportation helped us move closer actually."

Nico grinned triumphantly "See Thals? My power is freaking awesome!"

Thalia rolled her eyes in response "You still smell like death though." She then began sniffing herself "Now that I mention it, we all smell like crap."

"There's a river nearby where we can wash our clothes" I suggested "It's a few miles north, so we should be there in like twenty minutes."

They all agreed with me and soon enough, we were back on the highway. We reached the river later than expected since Percy went in the wrong direction. I swear, I just want to strangle him sometimes! The river was hidden deep in a forest, but we found it with ease. The water was so clear you could practically see the fish swimming inside.

Once the river was in sight, Nico and Percy ran to it like little kids. They both took off their shirts and jumped into the water with a loud splash. Thalia and I sat at the bank of the river as I cleaned my sweater. I hadn't realized how dirty it was until I got a good look at it. All I can say is that it was _disgusting_!

Thalia took off her jacket and went into the river until she was waist high. She started scrubbing her jeans when suddenly Nico popped up in front of her. She screamed and fell backwards into the river. Nico laughed hysterically as she stood up again with her hair clinging onto her face.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this" he said, still laughing at Thalia's furious face.

"You have three seconds to run before I blast you into oblivion" Thalia threatened. Nico paled instantly and dove into the water to swim away. Thalia dove in after him while yelling profanities to his retreating figure. I chuckled to myself. I really wished I had a friendship like Percy, Thalia, and Nico had. Even though they annoyed each other to no end, you could tell that they were really close.

I knelt next to the water and stared at my reflection. My hair looked _really_ messed up. I took it out of the elastic and did my best to get all the knots out. I was close to finishing when someone behind me said "Hey." I jumped three feet in the air. My heart was beating rapidly from the scare as Percy sat beside me with an amused look on his face.

"Gods Percy you scared me half to death!" I exclaimed. He just shrugged in response which earned him a nasty glare from me. He didn't seemed fazed by it though.

"You wanna join me?" he asked while nodding his head towards the water "It's actually pretty warm."

I instantly start to panic, but I do my best not to show it "No thanks. I'm good."

"Oh come on" he protested "It'll be fun!"

"I don't want to Percy" I grumbled.

"Why not?" Is he always this persistent? It's extremely annoying.

"Because I said so."

He sighed and we stayed quite for a while. After a few minutes, his face brightened "Do you want to keep playing the game?"

I didn't have anything better to do so I said "Sure why not."

He smiled slyly "Ok, since you asked me the last question, it's my turn." I didn't like the smile he was giving me. It looked like he had some sort of evil plan "Why won't you go in the water with me?"

_That sneaky son of a bitch..._

I took a deep breath and looked away embarrassed "I, well... I don'tknowhowtoswim."

I said the last part so quickly he leaned in closer and gave me a confused look. As if seeing Percy shirtless wasn't distracting enough, his scent was absolutely intoxicating (in a good way). He smelled like the ocean and cookies. A strange mix, I know, but it made me senses tingle. We were touching shoulders and I could feel his muscles tense from the contact. He wasn't like those celebrities you see on TV with a six pack and bulky arms. He had muscle, but not in exaggeration. He didn't have a six pack, but it looked like he was close to getting one. I liked the fact that he wasn't like those people because it made him seem more real. Even if he did have perfect messy hair, and gorgeous eyes, and the most brilliant smile-

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that." I was brought out of my thoughts by Percy's voice. I can't believe I just went on a rant about him in my head! He's breaking through my barrier. I don't like how dangerous he's becoming.

I sighed while saying in a quiet voice "I don't know how to swim."

"Really?" he asks surprised. He then looks at the river sheepishly "I could, umm, teach you if you want."

I raised an eyebrow at him "You'd do that for me?"

His face turned as red as a fire hydrant "Of course. What are friends for?" For some reason, the word 'friends' left a sour taste in my mouth.

Percy got up and extended a hand towards me. I took it and I instantly felt sparks from the touch that made my stomach start to do somersaults. From the look on Percy's face, I think he felt it too.

He lead me into the river and once the water reached my shoulders, I started to have a panic attack. Percy noticed from the expression on my face that I was terrified (which I would never admit to), so he pulled me closer to his chest and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Don't be scared" he said in a soft voice "I'm not going to let anything happen to you."

We were really close now. I could feel my face burning up as I asked "How can I trust you?"

He smirked "I can control water Annabeth. Do you really think I would just let you drown?"

He had a point, so I let down my guard and decided to trust him. He taught me how to float and how to do a simple front crawl. I was getting the hang of it after a while and I'd hate to admit it, but I was actually having... Fun. Once Percy showed me the basics and I was confident enough to swim on my own, we started having a splash war. This wasn't very smart on my part since I'm facing a guy who could easily send a ten foot wave in my direction, but I was enjoying myself too much to care.

"Percy! You can't use your ability! It isn't fair!" I exclaim as he sends another small wave in my direction.

He laughs "You're just mad Wise Girl because I'm winning."

I snort "Wise Girl? Really? Aren't insults supposed to make the other person feel bad, _not_ boost their ego?"

He took a step closer to me. "Well, it was all I could come up with at the moment" he grumbled.

For some reason, it felt like the water was slightly pushing me towards him "You really are a Seaweed Brain."

"I really hate that name" he said as he took another step closer. We weren't that far apart. There was at least one body space between us. I could feel my heart rate picking up. I didn't like this.

He reached over and tucked a loose strand of my wet hair behind my ear, just like he did in the car. My breath quickens as I looked into his eyes. There was something different there. Something I couldn't make out. I could usually read people like a book, but Percy was a different story.

I could tell he was thinking about something and I was frustrated that I couldn't know what it was. Remembering of what he said to me in the car before he tried to, ahem, umm, kiss me, I decided to ask him "What are you thinking about?"

His cheeks redden as he says "I was thinking about how nice your hair looks when it's down."

My face must have been as red as a fire truck. Why was he thinking these things? Why had he tried to kiss me before? Oh gods... I really hope he doesn't have a crush on me. That would be bad. Like, _majorly_ bad. Especially because of the dreams I've been having lately.

Despite everything I couldn't resist asking "Why did you try to kiss me?" If it was possible, his face was even more red than before.

"I-I, umm..." he took a deep breath " I think that I might-"

"Come on guys!" Thalia yelled from across the river "If we don't leave now, we'll never make it to Houston!"

Percy and I swam back in silence. I wonder what he was going to tell me. I guess I'll find out another day because all I could think about right now was how hungry I was becoming.

We drove for hours and we were really close to Houston, but our stomachs just couldn't take it anymore.

"Guys, if I don't get food in my system soon, I'm going to faint" Nico complained.

"Same here" Thalia agreed "Isn't there anyplace that will give free food to four starving teenagers?"

Just then, it was as if the gods had answered Thalia's plea. Down the road was a Texan bar/restaurant with a sign in the front saying _'Karaoke Night! Best performance gets free meal!'_ Percy swerved into the parking lot and we all entered the restaurant with new found determination.

Percy noticed a smaller sign stating the rules for the competition that had already started "It says here that the song has to be performed as a duet."

Thalia and Nico both placed their pointer finger on top of their nose yelling "NOT IT!" Those jerks... Now Percy and I have to sing together and win to get food. The things you do when you're on the brink of starvation...

We went to the sign-up table where a girl with long caramel coloured hair that had been put in two braids is waiting for us. She was wearing a red plaid shirt that showed a lot of cleavage at the top and some very short jean shorts with black cowboy boots. As we approached, she was batting her long eyelashes and smiling widely at Percy. Her actions made something churn in the pit of my stomach.

"Well hi there stranger" she said in her southern accent "Welcome to 'Steve's Steakhouse Bar and Grill'! Are y'all here to sign up for the karaoke competition?"

I wanted to say _'Well no shit sherlock'_, but I held my tongue. I didn't want to get kicked out of here and ruin our chance of getting a warm meal.

"Yeah" Percy replied while looking a little uncomfortable from her stare "Do we get to choose the song?"

She shook her head "Sorry sugar, but you and your _friend_" she said friend like I was a piece of grime on her shoe "will have to choose from the remaining songs on this list." She handed us a list with five songs on it. I wasn't one to listen to country music very often, but luckily I knew one song and pointed it out to Percy.

"Let's do this one" I said "It's the only one I know." He nodded in agreement and handed the list back to the girl.

She then wrote our number and names on a piece of paper and handed it to us "Y'all will be the last ones to perform since you came so late. I wish you good luck. I'll be cheering for you in the stands Percy." She then gave him a flirtatious giggle and wink that made my blood boil.

So, I mentally tipped over the glass of coke she had beside her all over her clothes. She shrieked in response and I couldn't help but feel accomplished. I left her with a satisfied smirk on my face. I looked over at Percy only to find him shaking his head at me, but smiling at the same time.

"You did that on purpose didn't you?" he asked.

I gave him an innocent look "I have no idea what you're talking about Seaweed Brain."

He laughed "You didn't strike me as the jealous type Wise Girl."

"What?!" I exclaim as my face turned red "I was _not_ jealous of that-that slutty country Barbie doll!"

He put his arm around me "Chill Annabeth, I was only joking." The warmth of his arm was sending shivers down my spine. I know that doesn't make any sense, but that's what I felt. He needs to stop doing stuff like this or else... I don't know what I'm going to do. He's becoming a major threat.

Percy and I waited for the announcer to call our names. Once we were onstage I started to get a little case of stage fright. There were a _lot_ of people here! I tried all of the tactics that people say help with stage fright, like imagining the audience in their underwear, but that was _not_ a sight I wanted to imagine again. Instead I turned to look at Percy.

His gaze was showing the same fear that I was exhibiting so I asked "Nervous?"

He shook his head "A little. You?"

"Same." He then did something I didn't expect. He reached over and entwined my hand in his. I think that just made me even more nervous. Wait, what am I talking about?! Guys don't make me nervous! Nope! I refuse! Percy did not make me nervous. Not one tiny bit.

_Liar_ replied the voice in my head.

I ignored it as the beginning of the song started. I guess picking a love song didn't really help this situation did it? Wow Annabeth... That was kind of a stupid move. Well, no turning back now. I was determined to win this competition and get my free food! Even if I have never sang a note in my entire life...

(Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum ~ Annabeth = _italics_, Percy = **bold**, Together = underline)

_Lyin' here with you so close to me_  
_It's hard to fight these feelings when it feels so hard to breathe_  
_I'm caught up in this moment, caught up in your smile_

Oh gods this was a bad idea. Why did I pick this song?! Why did I have to sing it with him?! I'm turning into an emotional wreck. This has never happened to me before! There's a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach and it's not going away. I don't like this. I don't like this one bit.

**I've never opened up to anyone**  
**So hard to hold back when I'm holding you in my arms**  
We don't need to rush this, let's just take it slow

He's looking at me now. Oh wow his eyes look so bright. His hair looks really soft too- Holy shit this can't be happening! I just want to run right now. Run as far away as I can from him. But I really want to win and, not to sound cocky or anything, but we sound really good.

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
And I don't want to mess this thing up  
No, I don't want to push too far

Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life  
So baby, I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight

_I know that if we give this a little time_  
It'll only bring us closer to the love we wanna find  
_It's never felt so real,  
_**no, it's never felt so**  
right

He's all I see right now. We're standing in front of each other. His hand is still entwined with mine. He holds my gaze and smiles. I don't know if I've ever said this before, but _damn_ he's handsome. I knew he would be dangerous.

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
No, I don't want to mess this thing up  
I don't want to push too far

Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life  
So baby, I'm alright with just a kiss goodnight

No, I don't want to say goodnight  
**I know it's time to leave**  
But you'll be in my dreams  
**Tonight,**  
_tonight,_  
tonight

I look out into the audience just for a second and notice that the whole crowd is swaying to the music and singing along. I see Thalia and Nico in the front row giving us a thumbs up while huge smirks spread across their faces. I want to punch them so bad right now...

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight  
Just a touch of the fire burning so bright  
And I don't want to mess this thing up  
I don't want to push too far

Just a shot in the dark that you just might  
Be the one I've been waiting for my whole life  
**So baby, I'm alright**

Oh,  
_let's do this right_  
with just a kiss goodnight  
_With a kiss goodnight,_  
**kiss goodnight**

The song stopped and the crowd cheered. The announcer proclaimed us as the winners, but I didn't move from my spot. All I could see was this green eyed boy in front of me. Percy smiles widely at me and I feel my face heat up, my palms sweat and my stomach start doing somersaults all at the same time.

How can someone so dense, obtuse, and oblivious get through to me? How can someone who sometimes makes me feel like ripping my own hair out also give me butterflies? How can he just stand there and be so... So freaking amazing.

I have never felt this before. I never _wanted_ to feel this way about _anyone_! I need to distance myself from him. No matter what I feel I can't act upon it. Even if my instincts are yelling at me to. My dreams have been really disturbing lately and if they are showing what's going to happen in the future... I can't bear to bring Percy into it. He deserves a better ending than the one that's been laid out for me.

He puts his hand on my arm, shaking me out of my thoughts "Come on Annabeth. Let's go eat."

We ate like monsters. They gave us a huge platter of steak, ribs, fries, and a bunch of other stuff. Once we were finished, we thanked the owner and started walking towards Blackjack. Although it was mid-afternoon, it was really hot out. So I took off my sweater, leaving me in my white tank top and jeans. As soon as I took it off, some guy wolf-whistled at me.

"Hey sweetheart! Why don't you come over here and I'll help you take off the rest?!" I turned my head to find an older looking man with a large scruffy beard and a beer belly. He had his drink in his hand and his stance clearly said that he was drunk. He made kissy faces at me while laughing along with his two buddies who were at his side.

_Pervert._

Ugh! Why do people have to be so infuriating?! I was going to go over there and smack this guy silly when Thalia stopped me.

"Don't Annabeth. He's not worth it. Let's just go." I was surprised to see Thalia back away from a fight, but I realized why she stopped me. She didn't want me to lose control in a public place. Although I doubt that would have happened, I was thankful to her for watching out for me. Now that I think about it, she's actually the closest thing I have to a best friend.

"Hey son what's your problem?" I turned back around to see Percy confronting the creepy man with Nico right behind him.

"Right now? _You're_ my problem. Now go apologize to her" Percy growled.

He was sticking up for me. I instantly started to feel my heart flutter. Gods Percy why do you have to make things so complicated?!

The guy sneered "Oh really? Why? Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Percy's face darkened. I had only seen him this mad once before, when he was fighting Luke on the boat. He could look really scary when he wants to be.

The guy backed down slightly from Percy's glare "So what if she is?"

The guy and his buddies laughed "No, I don't think she is. I mean, why would a girl like _that_ want to be with a guy like _you_? She's way too sexy."

I could see Percy's jaw clench and his fists tighten from his words. Hell, I was doing the same thing! Who does this guy think he is talking to Percy like that?! I was ready to shoot him into oblivion, but I knew that a fight would just cause a riot. So I took a deep breath, went to Percy's side, and put a hand on his shoulder.

His body immediately relaxed from the contact "Come on Percy let's go. I want to make it to Chiron's by tonight." Ok, I didn't mean to do this, or maybe I did... I don't know... But the point is, I grabbed his hand and started leading him back to the car.

"That's right!" the guy yelled "Go back home with your slut!"

Percy's body shook with anger. "That's it!" he growled. He turned back to the guy and hit him square across the face. The guy's friends came over to protect him, but Nico was there to kick them where it hurts. Percy threw punch after punch at the creep, that pretty soon, he started begging for mercy. I knew there was no way I could stop Percy's rage. Once he has his mind set on something, it's basically impossible for someone to change it.

When Percy thought the creep had enough, he spat in his face, grabbed my hand, and left.

The car ride was quiet. Thalia and Nico were asleep in the back seat and Percy was just staring out of the passenger window with a blank look on his face. I offered to drive since I didn't want Percy to have road rage on the way to Chiron's. He completely lost his cool back at the restaurant and I knew it was because of his abilities. When I had first gotten mine, my emotions would fly all over the place. It's like being in constant PMS mode.

I spoke up after a while "What he said wasn't true."

Percy turned his head with a confused expression on his face "What?"

"What that guy at the restaurant said," I clarified "none of it was true."

"Oh. Well... Thanks." He didn't sound convinced.

I let out an exasperated sigh "I'm not bullshitting you Percy. It's the truth. If anything, _I_ don't deserve _you_." I shut my mouth. That last sentence was _not_ supposed to come out.

You see? This is what I get for feeling this way. Gods... I don't even have the guts to say it. I can't. Because if I do, I won't be able to take it back. And then I'll be in too deep. But if I keep saying these stupid things, he's going to figure it out eventually and _then_ where would I be? Wait, I know. I'd be far away. I wouldn't be able to see him again because when the present catches up to the future, I'll be gone anyways. So what's the point?

I felt a blush start to overtake my cheeks as Percy smiled "That's nice of you to say Annabeth. Really. You sure know how to make a guy feel better."

"Yeah well, don't get used to it Seaweed Brain."

Percy leaned back on his seat and stretched his arms out "Are you sure you're going the right way? We're not even on a road anymore."

I rolled my eyes "I think I know where I'm going Percy, since I practically live there. It's only a few more minutes away." Percy looked like he was in thought. It seemed as if he was contemplating on whether or not to say something.

Finally, he commented "You know, you have a really good voice."

I almost choked on my saliva "Really?"

He grinned "Yeah. You we were amazing. You sing _way_ better than the people who are famous now."

I laughed "Thanks, but I really can't be that good. That was my first time singing."

"In public?"

"Ever." Percy looked at me with so much awe that I had to look away to hide _another_ freaking blush.

"That just makes you even more incredible. I could see it now. Annabeth Chase! Worldwide superstar by day, kickass superhero by night!"

"Be quiet Aquaman," I scolded even though I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face "you're going to wake the others!"

Percy pouted and I couldn't help but think how ad- No. Don't think about it Annabeth. You're only going to make things worse.

We soon came up to a clearing that was hidden deep in the forest. I let a small smile spread across my face as I saw Chiron's cabin. It was a medium sized wooden cabin with two floors, but that's what Chiron wanted you to believe. The cabin also had a secret underground area where Chiron kept everything. His research, his inventions, the training area, you name it.

Percy and I wake the others and we're soon standing in the front door.

"This isn't really where I expected the super genius Chiron guy to live. I thought it would be more awesome" Nico grumbled "No offense Annabeth."

"None taken Nico," I then touch a few certain areas of the front door and a square pad comes out from the wall. I put my hand on it and type in the secret password. Not long after that, the door opens. I turn back to find Percy, Thalia, and Nico all with their jaws open in shock. "but you shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

We walk in and everything is just as how it had been when I left. The kitchen was sparkly clean, the living room was organized except for a few loose papers, and my dagger was perfectly mounted on the wall with the other ancient Greek weapons.

"Well that's a little disturbing" Thalia said while pointing at the weapons.

I smiled "Chiron was always really into Greek mythology. He knows basically everything about it. He's been collecting whatever he can from it for as long as I can remember. He's been training me ever since I was little with these old weapons for fun." I took my dagger off the wall "My favourite weapon is the dagger though. Chiron gave it to me as a present when I was ten."

"So you're pretty lethal then" Thalia concluded while looking at a silver bow and arrow.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"That's kinda hot" Nico said as he picked up the black Stygian sword. Percy shot him a deadly look that clearly stated for him to either shut up now, or get a beating. Nico shrugged it off and continued looking at the weapons with Thalia. I walked over to Percy who was admiring one of the Celestial Bronze swords.

"That one's named Anaklusmos" I said "Riptide in English. You can try it out if you'd like."

Percy picked up the sword and gripped it tight in his right hand. He swung it around a few times and smiled "It's perfect. It's like it was made for me."

"Ok there Hercules. Now put it back before you behead someone."

I led them all to where the fireplace stood. I pulled down on one of the lamps that hung on the wall and pretty soon, the fireplace was substituted by a small elevator. Before I stepped in, I turned to face everyone.

"Before we go down, you guys have to promise me you won't touch anything or freak out. It's a really big area with a lot of dangerous equipment so I'm warning you now." They all nodded in agreement, so we entered the elevator.

The doors of the elevator opened up and everyone gasped from the sight of Chiron's underground facility. Chiron's machines were pilled up all over the place and there were desks filled with paperwork in every corner of the room. I could see Chiron hunched over at his main study desk frantically looking through his notes. He looked up at the sound of the elevator's ding and grinned widely.

"Annabeth! It's so good to finally have you home!"

I run over to him and give him a big hug "It's good to be back Chiron and you won't believe what has happened in the past few days!"

"What is it?"

I let out a huge smile "I found them. I found people just like me without even knowing it. The people I wanted you to brainwash all have abilities. Let me introduce you." I led Chiron to my new... Friends? Yeah, friends. They all had sheepish smiles on their faces as I started the introduction "Guys, this is Chiron Brunner. Chiron this is-"

"Perseus Jackson, Thalia Grace, and Nico di Angelo."

We all stared at Chiron in shock. How in the world did he know who they were? Chiron let out a chuckle from our surprised expressions.

"It's good to know that you're all safe" he said. Then he turned to me and gave me a smile filled with gratitude "I'm very proud of you Annabeth. You've found them. The offspring of the three major employees of our organization."

"Wait what?!" I exclaim.

"Yeah, I'm with Annabeth on this one" Thalia said "How do you know us?"

"And what organization?" Nico asked.

"I'm so lost" Percy sighed while scratching his head.

"There's a lot for me to explain" Chiron said "We don't have much time on our hands I'm afraid, but I will clarify everything. First things first though" he took a deep breath and stared at each of my new friends in the eye "Perseus, Thalia, Nico, you're cousins."

All of their eyes widened in shock. Heck, mine were about to come out of their sockets as well. This had to be some of the biggest news ever.

"COUSINS?!" they all exclaim in unison.

"How can that be?!" Percy asked.

"Yeah!" Thalia agreed while running her hands frantically through her hair "How can I be related to these two weirdos?"

"I think I can answer that for you Ms. Grace."

Walking out of one of the doors was a woman who looked oddly familiar. She looked around forty with dark black hair that was naturally curled like a princess. She was tall and slim, but she definitely had muscle. What caught my attention the most though, were her piercingly fierce grey eyes.

_Oh gods..._

I suddenly felt sick. This couldn't be happening. It can't be her. It just can't! Yet, I knew deep in my gut that it was. I was now looking at my mother. The mother that had left me alone so long ago. The one who had abandoned me to live with my cruel father and step-mother. I wanted to slap her across the face so badly, but at the same time I wanted to run up to her and hug her without a care in the world.

We locked eyes and her face broke out into a sad smile "Hello Annabeth."

Something wet was on my face. Tears? Oh gods I was crying. I was crying in front of everyone and I showed no sign of stopping.

After a few minutes I was finally able to croak out "Mom?"

She nodded her head and stepped towards me with her arms out wide. She wrapped her arms around me, but I couldn't move. All the emotion that I had inside of me was taking over. I was slipping. I was losing control.

I let out a scream and my mother immediately flew across the room. She hit the wall hard and fell to the ground. My vision was getting cloudy. I wanted to stop so badly, but I had let my ability overtake me. I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't speak.

I had lost control.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, that took up all of my Saturday. This is officially the longest chapter I've ever written. over 6,300 words! I'm so tired right now.**

**So, I hope you like it and please comment/review. I appreciate all of your support and I hope to update soon! :) **

**But for now, peace out fellow demigods! **


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